The maturation of respiratory patterns in normal full term infants during the first six postnatal months. I: Sleep states and respiratory variability.

ABSTRACT. Four term healthy infants had their respiratory pattern monitored during a 2-hour afternoon nap recording period at monthly intervals up to six months of age. The time spent asleep significantly decreased with a marked reduction in active sleep (66% to 10%) while maintaining one long epoch of quiet sleep (mean 31 mins). Mean breathing rate at one week was higher in active sleep than quiet sleep (47 vs 41 breaths/min.) and decreased by 6 months in both sleep states (31 breaths/min. in both). Variability of breathing rate at 1 week was significantly increased in active sleep compared to quiet sleep and both decreased by 6 months. These findings confirm a significant maturational change in the respiratory pattern and variability of normal infants in the afternoon nap from 1 to 6 months.