Sleep disorders and airway obstruction in newborns and infants.

For most infants with a disorder of breathing control or airway obstruction, cause and management can be defined with a careful history and a few simple diagnostic tests. Pneumograms and multichannel studies can identify patterns of apnea and associated hypoxemia and can be used to assess therapeutic efficacy. For the majority of infants with disordered breathing, the outcome is favorable and conservative management is appropriate. More extensive diagnostic evaluation is reserved for infants with severe apnea or those with evidence of a significant contributing underlying disease. For these infants, management should be directed at the underlying cause and at identifying and preventing severe, life-threatening events.