Premature infants who exhibit 5 to 10 seconds of respiratory pauses followed by 10 to 15 seconds of compensatory rapid respiration are:
A) Suffering from sleep or wakeful apnea.
B) Experiencing severe swings in blood pressure.
C) Trying to maintain a neutral thermal environment.
D) Breathing in a respiratory pattern common to premature infants.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Premature infants commonly exhibit periodic breathing patterns with brief pauses in breathing followed by rapid respiration. This is due to the immaturity of their respiratory control system and is not necessarily indicative of any underlying medical issue. Therefore, option D is the best choice. Options A, B, and C are not accurate explanations for this phenomenon.

Premature Infants Who Exhibit 5 to 10 Seconds of Respiratory