Abnormal Regulation of Ventilation in Infants at Risk for Sudden-Infant-Death Syndrome

Abstract

To test whether alveolar hypoventilation and an abnormal ventilatory response to inhaled carbon dioxide explains some episodes of sudden-infant-death syndrome, we assessed ventilatory control during quiet sleep in 12 normal infants and 11 infants who had required at least two resuscitations because of prolonged apnea (>20 seconds) during sleep (aborted form of the syndrome).