Lack of temporal relation between acid reflux in the proximal oesophagus and cardiorespiratory events in sleeping infants.

We studied sleeping infants in order to investigate whether a temporal relation exists between acid reflux extending to the proximal portion of the oesophagus and cardiorespiratory events. One hundred infants with occasional regurgitations were studied: 50 infants admitted after an apparently life-threatening event (ALTE) that occurred during sleep and that remained unexplained despite medical investigation, and 50 asymptomatic infants (non-ALTE). The infants had a median age of 8 weeks (range 4-26 weeks); 54 were boys. In each child a pH probe was placed in the proximal portion of the thoracic oesophagus, under radiological control. Polygraphic monitoring of state of alertness, cardiorespiratory activity, and proximal oesophageal pH changes was conducted continuously during 1 night. The data were analysed blind. In 80 infants a total of 186 decreases in oesophageal pH below 4 units were seen; 37% occurred during wakefulness, and 40% during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. A total of 7029 central and 61 obstructive apnoeas were monitored, mainly during REM sleep. Within 5 min before, and 5 min after the drops in pH, there was no difference in the number, or the duration of bradycardia, central, mixed, or obstructive apnoea. The infants with an ALTE could not be differentiated from the non-ALTE infants for any of the variables studied. It is concluded that spontaneous acid refluxes extending to the proximal portion of the oesophagus during sleep are usually not temporally related with the development of apnoeas or bradycardias.