Pneumogram recordings in infants resuscitated for apnea of infancy.

Infants who sustained a spell of apnea of infancy during which they were resuscitated have been shown to be at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome. To determine the value of the pneumogram as a predictor of outcome in this population, the first pneumogram obtained of 51 such infants was analyzed. The infants were grouped on the basis of subsequent outcome during a course of monitoring: group 1--infants who died during a subsequent event; group 2--infants who received resuscitation or vigorous stimulation to terminate a subsequent spell; group 3--infants who survived and did not have a significant subsequent episode. The results for these infants were compared with those of a control group matched for age and sex. A detailed, blinded computer analysis revealed no significant difference in the results of the pneumogram analysis between the three groups. It did not identify the infants in whom apneic spells necessitating resuscitation subsequently developed or those who died. However, when compared with the control group, infants with apnea of infancy had significantly higher mean respiratory rates, heart rates, and tachycardia indexes. It is concluded that, although the first pneumogram does not predict the risk of an adverse outcome in a population of infants with severe apnea of infancy, it does reveal subtle cardiorespiratory differences between study and control infants.