Effect of sitting position on respiratory status in preterm infants

Objective: To evaluate whether using a sitting-type car safety seats for preterm infants is advisable. Patients and methods: A total of 65 preterm infants underwent polysomnography in the supine and sitting positions. The infants with <95% of SpO2 were assigned to the desaturation (DS) group. Their backgrounds, breathing patterns, and breathing types were analyzed. Results: Of the 65 cases, 18 were assigned to the DS group. No significant differences were observed between the DS and non-DS groups in their background characteristics. Of the 18 DS cases, 15 were included in the non-obstructive group (8, periodic breathing; 6, tachypnea; 1, irregular breathing). Conclusions: Immaturity of the respiratory center and decompensation for the respiratory changes caused by the sitting position were suspected to cause DS in infants. Sitting-type car safety seats should be used with caution for preterm infants, and all preterm infants need to be screened by polysomnographic examination in the sitting position.Peer Reviewe