Home cardiorespiratory monitoring has changed significantly since it was first introduced in the 1970s. It has improved from a simple alarm system to a sophisticated piece of equipment capable of monitoring the patient's electrocardiogram, respiratory effort, and oxygen saturations. In addition, the indications for using a monitor have also changed. The home monitor was initially used to reduce the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Although there were several studies demonstrating the reduction of SIDS rates in communities where apnea programs existed, none was a prospective, double-blinded study or had adequate numbers to be clinically significant. Therefore, the American Academy of Pediatrics took the stance that monitors were not an effective way to reduce SIDS. However, when used appropriately, as part of a complete program (ie, the monitor is just one of many clinically based modalities), by a clinician with expertise in interpreting download tracings, home cardiorespiratory monitoring can be a useful, lifesaving, and economical tool to observe infants who are at increased risk of sudden death or increased morbidity secondary to intermittent hypoxia. [Pediatr Ann. 2017;46(8):e303-e308.].

Background: Evidence suggests that increased ambient air pollution concentrations are associated with health effects, although relatively few studies have specifically examined infants.Objective: We examined associations of daily ambient air pollution concentrations with central apnea (prolonged pauses in breathing) and bradycardia (low heart rate) events among infants prescribed home cardiorespiratory monitors.Methods: The home monitors record the electrocardiogram, heart rate, and respiratory effort for detected apnea and bradycardia events in high-risk infants [primarily premature and low birth weight (LBW) infants]. From August 1998 through December 2002, 4,277 infants had 8,960 apnea event-days and 29,450 bradycardia event-days in > 179,000 days of follow-up. We assessed the occurrence of apnea and bradycardia events in relation to speciated particulate matter and gaseous air pollution levels using a 2-day average of air pollution (same day and previous day), adjusting for temporal trends, temperature, and infant age.Results: We observed associations between bradycardia and 8-hr maximum ozone [odds ratio (OR) = 1.049 per 25-ppb increase; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.021–1.078] and 1-hr maximum nitrogen dioxide (OR =1.025 per 20-ppb increase; 95% CI, 1.000–1.050). The association with ozone was robust to different methods of control for time trend and specified correlation structure. In secondary analyses, associations of apnea and bradycardia with pollution were generally stronger in infants who were full term and of normal birth weight than in infants who were both premature and LBW.Conclusions: These results suggest that higher air pollution concentrations may increase the occurrence of apnea and bradycardia in high-risk infants.

A large cohort of infants (8,998) at high risk for sudden and unexpected death was followed with home cardiorespiratory monitoring over a five-year period. These infants included premature infants (23-36 weeks post-conceptual age), SIDS siblings, and infants who experienced an Apparent Life-Threatening Event. The overall SIDS rate in this high-risk population was 0.55/1,000, a rate significantly less than the 0.85 deaths/1,000 reported in the "general population" of Georgia over this same time period. In addition, we report our experience with using home monitors as a diagnostic tool, as well as how monitors can actually be cost-effective. Editorial opinions, and lay press summaries of the CHIME study (JAMA, May 2, 2001) imply that home cardiorespirtory monitors are of little value. Despite the fact that the study never made this claim, many clinicians are now referring to this study as evidence that home monitoring is ineffective and not needed. This article disputes those misconceptions about home cardiorespiratory monitors based on our experience with a large high-risk population of infants.

No abstract