Question

Premature infants who exhibit 5 to 10 seconds of respiratory pauses followed by 10 to 15 seconds of compensatory rapid respiration are:

a. Suffering from sleep or wakeful apnea.
b. Experiencing severe swings in blood pressure.
c. Trying to maintain a neutral thermal environment.
d. Breathing in a respiratory pattern common to premature infants.

Answer 1

The respiratory pattern of 5 to 10 seconds of pauses followed by 10 to 15 seconds of rapid respiration in premature infants is considered a common pattern known as periodic breathing.

Step-by-step explanation:

Premature infants can display irregular breathing patterns, one of which includes periods of respiratory pauses (apnea) followed by compensatory rapid respiration. This is a phenomenon known as periodic breathing and is actually common in premature infants. Such breathing patterns may be alarming, but they can occur without any underlying pathology and the infant might not need treatment, as long as the episodes resolve on their own and there is no significant drop in blood oxygen levels.