Sleep Apnea Treatment

Question by Christine Hertzog: help my newborn has an apnea monitor?
My daughter is 10 days old and on an apnea monitor. She has only been home for three days, she was born at 36 wks and spent the first week in a children’s hospital because she inhaled fluid during delivery. There were no problems caused by this she was just on an antibiotic for seven days then sent home. She is on the monitor because in 2002 I had a little boy that passed away in his sleep when he was two months old. I am sure the monitor is the best thing for her and it does easy my mind. However, the monitor has gone off several times since we have been home. She seems to be fine every time it goes off. I called her nurse and he said it sometimes does just go off. We have only been home for three days and I’d say it went off about 20 times since we brought her home. It drives me crazy, my heart stops every time I hear it go off. Her father and I are so afraid to leave her side. I’m afraid to be home alone with her because I just panic when I hear it. Her father is calmer than I am and just goes over to her and picks her up and makes sure she is ok. I always want to run to the phone and call someone. I am so afraid she will be unresponsive every time I hear it. Does anyone else have a newborn on an apnea monitor that goes off all the time? And how do you deal with it? How long do they usually keep newborns on the monitors? I know its whats best for her and I’d be going even crazier if she didnt have it. I am just so afraid of her and the monitor right now and she has only had it for three days I know we still have a long way to go.

Best answer:

Answer by Mum of twins
Yes- I remember those darn monitors going off for no reason at all. Does your baby wear a chest band or electrodes? My boys wore the chest band at first. When they would sleep, I guess they didn’t breath hard enough for the machine to pick it up, so the alarms would go off all night. After we switched to electrodes, the false alarms were greatly reduced. If this is the case for you, I would recommend calling the monitor company for electrodes.

My boys kept their alarms until they were 3 months old (but they had severe reflux and a history of apnea episodes)

Good luck sweety. It does get better!

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Just curious, little one likes to play. So I wondered if he holds his breath on purpose during night will the monitor record as not breathing.
The test will be done at home on a portable monitor.

I need to buy a baby monitor for sleep apnea but have no idea which one to get and what it would do?
What monitor would you recomend?
Not sure why bubs is having apnea episodes but it could just be from relux?
Bubs is 4 days old.
*sorry, its ment to say reflux*