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 SpO(2) 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.