Dr. Soria: Baby Apnea Dangers

WEST PALM BEACH, FL - For new parents there's nothing more adorable than the sight of their sleeping baby, and there's nothing as scary as when the baby stops breathing. What should you do if that happens to your child?

In some cases if the child stops breathing, rubbing the baby or patting the soles of the feet may be all that is needed to end an episode. but what if that doesn't work.

Then I would strongly recommend some attempts at cardio pulmonary resuscitaiton which would entail breathing mouth to mouth and often some chest compression," said Dr. Lyle Browne, the director of neonatology at the Wellington Regional Medical Center.

Infant apnea can occur in all babies, but is more likely to happen when the baby is born premature. the symptoms include:

- snoring,

-pauses in breathing,

-breathing through the mouth rather than the nose.

-bluishcolor

-restless sleep

Unfortunately there is no way to prevent these episodes from happening, but they can be treated.

Healthy infants who have apnea usually do not have more health or developmental problems than other babies. The apnea does not cause brain damage, and there is no connection between apnea and SIDS. A healthy baby who is apnea free for a week will probably never have apnea again.