Behaviour and physiological responses during prone and supine
sleep in early infancy |
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Authors: | B Skadberg T Markestad |
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Institution: | Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Bergen, Norway. |
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Abstract: | Accepted 23
December 1996
AIMS—To study the effect of prone and supine
sleep on infant behaviour, peripheral skin temperature, and
cardiorespiratory parameters to aid understanding of why prone sleeping
is associated with an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome. METHODS—Of 33 enrolled infants, 32 were studied
at 2.5 and 28 at 5 months of age. A computer aided multichannel system
was used for polysomnographic recordings. Behaviour was charted separately. RESULTS—Prone REM (active) sleep was associated
with lower frequencies of short arousals, body movements and sighs, and
a shorter duration of apnoeas than supine REM sleep at both ages. At
2.5months there were less frequent episodes of periodic breathing during prone sleep in non-REM (quiet) and REM sleep. Heart rate and
peripheral skin temperature were higher in the prone position during
both sleep states at both ages. CONCLUSIONS—The observation of decreased
variation in behaviour and respiratory pattern, increased heart rate,
and increased peripheral skin temperature during prone compared with
supine sleep may indicate that young infants are less able to maintain
adequate respiratory and metabolic homoeostasis during prone sleep.
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