· Log in

Babies can have apnea too

Written by: David Castillo on March 31st, 2011

Babies can have apnea too | read this item

Mother to 6-week old James Kahler, Jennifer, was finding it extremely hard to understand what a clinical psychologist was trying to tell her over the phone. Soon after spending a silent July 4 weekend with her family in Northern Virginia, the doctor calls Jennifer with terrible news—she has to bring baby James to Inova Fairfax Hospital right away.

Psychologist Margaret Bell Fischer’s sense of urgency comes with good reason—baby James, despite looking normal time and again upon being checked up by doctors and constant monitoring, has been diagnosed with sleep apnea. He spent almost eight days in neonatal intensive care being treated for apnea of prematurity and jaundice.

Jennifer recalls her baby looking “like a little beet” from his red skin tone every time he was asleep. Such a disorder could be left undiagnosed, especially with babies who are expected to sleep much of the time. Jennifer never suspected a thing until an EKG confirmed the disorder.

Source: Washington Post