[Effect of aminophylline therapy in mature infants with sleep apnea syndrome].

Pneumograms of 33 fullterm infants (age 1-16 weeks) with idiopathic sleep apnea syndrome (SAS), treated with aminophyllin administered orally, were compared with pneumograms of 12 age-matched infants without aminophyllin treatment. In a one hour oxycardiorespirography (OCRG) all infants had pneumogram abnormalities defined as apneas greater than or equal to 15 s, greater than or equal to 3 apneas lasting 10 s, MA-value (mean duration of all apneas during sleep time) greater than or equal to 7 s/min, and greater than or equal to 3 episodes of periodic breathing. The diagnosis of an SAS, discussed as a possible risk factor of SIDS, was made in general in the presence of clinical symptoms such as apneas, cyanosis during sleep, poorly coordinated sucking, swallowing and respiration, and gastro-esophageal reflux (GER) in combination with an abnormal pneumogram. Of the 33 infants 12 with a history of an SIDS sibling were clinically asymptomatic. We found that after one week of aminophyllin treatment in 88% the pneumograms were normal. The mean plasma concentration of aminophyllin at this time was 8.3 micrograms/ml (range 4-19 micrograms/ml). All abnormalities showed a statistically significant reduction. In the infants without aminophyllin the pneumogram was still abnormal and no abnormality was significantly reduced. After at least 6 weeks we discontinued aminophyllin and one week later we monitored the OCRG. In 83% of the infants we found a normal pneumogram and compared to the initial pneumogram there was again a statistically significant difference.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)