Early human development
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The respiratory response to therapeutic lung inflation by artificial ventilation in premature babies has been studied. Both the Hering-Breuer and an augmented inspiratory reflex could be provoked by ventilator inflation in neonates as premature as 25 weeks gestational age. ⋯ The frequency of elicitation of augmented inspirations was shown to be inversely related to the dynamic compliance. The relative stimulation of these two respiratory reflexes may explain why some infants are easy to ventilate and others difficult.