Abnormal sleeping ventilatory pattern in infants of substance-abusing mothers
S. L. Ward, S. Schuetz, V. Kirshna, X. Bean, W. Wingert, L. Wachsman and T. G. Keens
Infants born to opiate-abusing mothers have a decreased ventilatory
response to carbon dioxide and a five to ten times increased risk of sudden
infant death syndrome (SIDS). These abnormalities of ventilatory control
may be associated with abnormal sleeping ventilatory patterns. Therefore,
28 overnight pneumograms (respiratory pattern recording and
electrocardiogram) were obtained from 27 infants of substance-abusing
mothers (ISAM) (five opiate, seven phencyclidine hydrochloride, three
cocaine, and 12 polydrug abusers) and compared with pneumograms from 43
control infants. Pneumograms were quantitated for total sleep time,
greatest duration of apnea, total duration of apnea greater than or equal
to 6 s, periodic breathing, and mean heart and respiratory rates. The ISAM
had a longer total sleep time, greater durations of apnea, a higher total
duration of apneas greater than or equal to 6 s, more periodic breathing, a
higher mean respiratory rate, and a lower mean heart rate. Thirty-two
percent of pneumograms from ISAM were abnormal compared with 9.3% of the
control pneumograms. We conclude that ISAM have abnormal sleeping
ventilatory patterns that may be related to their increased SIDS risk.
