Apnea is a term for cessation of breathing. According to the National Institutes of Health, apnea of infancy occurs when an infant has stopped breathing for 20 seconds or longer, or when a shorter respiratory pause is associated with a decreased heart rate, pallor, cyanosis and/or hypotonia. An apnea monitor is occasionally given to parents to prevent sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS.
Purpose of an Apnea Monitor
A home apnea monitor is a portable device utilized to monitor your baby’s heart rate and breathing after being discharged from the hospital. Although they are not commonly used, infants who are sent home with apnea monitors usually have severe reflux or unrelenting apnea, require oxygen therapy at home or a breathing machine, and have a family history of SIDS. Before being sent home with your monitor, you should ensure that your physician has explained the purpose of the monitor along with the proper use of it.
Setting up the Monitor
Prior to setting up the monitor, your infant’s chest should be washed and dried with mild soap and water. Since the electrodes will be placed on the skin of your infant’s chest, abstain from using lotion, powders and baby oil, to prevent poor conduction. Next, the electrode belt should be placed on a flat surface facing up, and the lead wires should be attached to the electrodes. The black lead wire should be positioned on the left side of your infant’s chest and the white lead wire should be positioned on the right side. Subsequently, the electrodes should be placed on the belt with the wires facing the bottom of the belt. Afterward, the belt should be wrapped securely around your baby. Lastly, connect the loose ends of the wires to the patient cable and turn on the monitor.
Responding to Monitor Alarms
If at anytime your infant’s monitor alarms, respond to it promptly; Medox Healthcare recommends that you respond within 10 seconds. Check to see if your baby is breathing, and the lead wires are connected to the monitor. A false alarm will sound if the lead wires and patient cable are not connected to the monitor. It is also important to detect the different alarm sounds, because a steady alarm signals a battery or lead problem and an intermittent alarm indicates a problem with your baby.
Helpful Tips to Keep Your Infant Safe
Prevention is a key aspect in protecting your infant’s health. Safety tips include: ensuring that you and/or your spouse are familiar with performing CPR, noting your infant’s color and comparing it to deviations, and being able to check your infant’s heart rate. If your infant’s color appears bluish or pale, stimulate your baby immediately and check your baby’s breathing. If your infant is not breathing and you cannot detect a pulse, instantly begin CPR and dial 911.
