1 From the Sleep Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, and Division of Cardiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
Eight full-term infants between 3 and 8 weeks of age, who had had 24 to 48 hours of vague problems involving a congested upper airway and/or irritability, had a life-threatening respiratory episode at home, called a near-miss for sudden infant death syndrome event. Polygraphically monitored mixed apneas occurred in clusters during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep with significant cardiac arrhythmias, predominantly sinus arrest. The cardiorespiratory problems continued during sleep in the following 8 to 12 weeks but did not recur after that time, and there were no longterm sequelae when the children were studied again 4 to 7 years later.
Key Words: near-miss sudden infant death syndrome sleep arrhythmias, sinus arrest polygram
Submitted on August 13, 1984
Accepted on October 10, 1984