Infant Apnea Program

When your baby has trouble breathing or has a form of apnea, which temporarily stops normal breathing, a home monitor allows for continuous monitoring of your baby’s breathing and heart.

The Infant Apnea Clinic is a resource for parents using a home apnea monitor for their infant or child. Common concerns for which a home monitor is used include:

• Children with sleep apnea
• Children under two years of age with tracheostomies on home monitors
• Infants affected by apnea of infancy
• Infants and children on home monitors because of an unstable airway
• Infants who have experienced an unexplained apparent life-threatening event (ALTE)
• Premature infants affected by apnea of prematurity

Experienced pediatric nurse practitioners coordinate the Infant Apnea Clinic and an integrated team — pediatric pulmonologists, pediatric pulmonary nurses, a social worker and a nutritionist — helps families and sees to patient care.

Related services include:

• Coordination with medical equipment companies
• Evaluation and treatment
• Monitor downloading, review and interpretation
• Nutritional counseling
• Physical examination
• Parent education

Patients followed in the clinic are usually referred by area hospital neonatal intensive care units, transitional care facilities or pediatricians. Clinic staff members care for approximately 200 patients who use apnea monitors each year.