• S Ducrocq, V Biran-Mucignat, P-Y Boelle, F Lebas, J-J Baudon, and F Gold.
• Service de Néonatologie, Hôpital d'Enfants Armand-Trousseau, APHP, 26, avenue du Docteur-Arnold-Netter, 75771 Paris cedex 12, France. sarah.ducrocq@cch.aphp.fr <sarah.ducrocq@cch.aphp.fr>
• Arch Pediatr. 2006 Oct 1;13(10):1299-304.

IntroductionApnea of prematurity develop during the first days of life and usually resolve by the time the infant reaches 36-37 weeks postmenstrual age. In a few cases, they persist beyond term, especially in infants delivered at the youngest gestational ages (24-28 GA), and require specific care. In our unit, those preterm babies are discharged home with caffeine citrate treatment. Discontinuing the treatment is performed in hospital when they achieve a postmenstrual age of at least 42 weeks.ObjectiveTo identify predictive factors of persistent apnea in preterm babies.Material And MethodsRetrospective study comparing a population of 41 preterm infants discharged with treatment to 123 preterm babies discharged without treatment to identify predictors of persistent apnea.ResultsFactors significantly associated were: birth weight<1500 g, initial hypotension, gastroesophageal reflux, need for continuous positive airway pressure and multiparity. At home, no infant died and no adverse effect was reported by parents.ConclusionPersistent apnea can be responsible for prolonged hospitalization. Risk factors can be identified in some children. Discharging with treatment can be an alternative to their hospitalization.

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