Central Apnoea in Infants: Apnoea of Prematurity and Apnoea of Infancy.

Central apnea is cessation of breathing resulting from insufficient respiratory drive from the central respiratory network to the muscles of respiration. In this article, we present the pathophysiology, treatment of central apnea in preterm infants using the construct of loop-gain. We also present and discuss the diagnostic criteria, pathophysiology, assessment and treatment of central apnea of infancy, and the importance of polysomnography. Lastly, we present the pros and cons of monitoring devices and techniques and algorithms used to detect and measure the frequency of central apnea in preterm and term infants.