Is there any treatment for apnea and bradycardia?
First, your baby is checked for how often the events occur, how long they last, how much stimulation is needed and if there may be other causes such as infection, low oxygen, etc. If the baby has only occasional episodes that respond to gentle stimulation, no further treatment may be needed except to monitor the baby until the episodes stop happening. If the events are due to infection or other problems, then treating the problem will often clear the episodes. If the episodes are frequent, require more than gentle stimulation, or are likely to continue for a time (as in a very premature baby), then several treatments may be tried: • Medicines such as caffeine, theophylline, or aminophylline are often used. • Continuous nasal airflow or CPAP (which is oxygen under pressure) may be blown through a plastic nosepiece or mask into the nose. • Ventilation or breathing for the baby with a machine may be needed if the events are severe. Will apnea and bradycardia cause brain damage? NO! While
