Treatment of Apnea and Excessive Periodic Breathing in the Full-Term Infant

Abstract

Full-term human infants (22), aged 0-6 wk, with a history of unexplained apnea and respiratory abnormalities on pneumogram recordings, were treated with theophylline (average dose 7.5 mg/kg per day and average serum level 11 .mu.g/ml). Subsequent recordings showed a significant decrease in the amount of periodic breathing (14.3 vs. 0.7%) and apnea 10-14.9 (12.8 vs. 1.0/100 min) when compared to the initial pneumogram. Theophylline therapy in this group of infants resulted in a reduction of apnea and periodic breathing.