1 Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard Dallas, Texas 75235
The articles by Shannon et al.1 and Uauy et al.2 concerning the treatment of apnea in low-birthweight infants are of great interest, and, as noted in the commentary by Lucey,3 their topic should stimulate a great deal of research and controversy. The controversy began when Dr. Shannon presented his paper on the use of theophylline at the annual meeting of the APS-SPR (Denver, Colorado; April 1975). During the discussion, it was very clearly pointed out by a number of individuals that, by virtue of the data, theophylline cannot be considered an acceptable mode of treating apnea in preterm or low-birthweight infants at the present time.