Baby apnea monitor information

Most people will experience some pauses in their breathing once in a while.This is not exclusive to adults, but can affect babies too.This type of breathing pattern is known as apnea. This is quite normal for some people, but for other people it could be a sign of health problems.Especially if a baby suffers from it. If you find yourself in this type of situation you may want to acquire the help of a baby sleep apnea monitor. 

The Different Types of Apnea

The meaning of the word "apnea" has it origins from the Greek word and it mean "without wind".This is the medical term used to describe when a person`s breathing stops occasionally.This is normal, but for some people it may be a sign of more serious medical conditions.

There are basically the main types of apnea, and they are: obstructive, central, and mixed. Obstructive apnoea is the most common type found in babies and children. It is usually caused by obstructions in the airway by enlarged tonsils or adenoids.This can be quite dangerous, particularly for infants as it mostly occurs during sleep time. As we all know, babies are not able to tell us about the symptoms.Symptoms of obstructive apnoea includes laboured breathing, snoring, changes in colour and gasping of air. The main sign however is if the baby just seems very restless.

The second type of apnea is central apnea. The most probable cause of this is caused by a defect in the part of the brain that controls the breathing. n  In babies this could be a congenital defect. Luckily central apnea is not that common in adults, but unfortunately it is common in babies who were born prematurely. Unlike obstructive apnea, central apnea can occur any time of the day.

The third type of apnea is called mixed apnea. This condition is the combination of the above mentioned two types. This is quite common in infants and can occur whether the baby is sleeping of awake.

What should I do if I think my baby has apnea?

When your child is born, he or she is evaluated to see if there are any problems.This is however just an initial examination and the baby`s condition can change in the following months.It is advisable to have your infant re-evaluated by their doctor. If apnea is detected the doctor will suggest which ways you can monitor which will most likely be to make use of a baby sleep apnea monitor.

What must I look for in a baby sleep apnea monitor?

There are a lot of different baby apnea monitors each with different features. When you choose your apnea monitor there are certain features that the device should have to ensure that you can properly monitor your baby.

Your monitor should have a heart beat monitor.No apnea monitor is 100% accurate in detecting the cessation of breathing.This is the ideal back-up in case the baby apnea monitor fails to detect apnea, because it will show in the heart rate of the baby.The monitor will also have the sensor to detect the child`s breathing.It is usually a sensor pad that is placed under the infant`s mattress and detects the child`s breathing.You also get the clip on type monitors, which clips onto the baby`s diaper and detects the child`s breathing and abdominal movements.

Another important feature that you should consider is the remote alarm.This alarm will notify when something is wrong even if you are not in the same room as your baby.It also have a power loss alarm.Lastly your baby monitor should also be able to run off AC power, to enable the monitor to work without batteries and to also charge flat batteries.




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