Elias was only having a few bradys and desats at first, and would also recover on his own within seconds, but now they're seeming to get worse. He has 5-10 in a row and then will have none for a few hours, and some of them the RN's have to get in there and stimulate him. Is this normal?

Yes unfortunately it is normal but doesn't make it any less scary!

It's because they get tired and forget to breath. One day he will just stop doing them. It's like the flick of a switch and they suddenly remember to breath all the time.

I agree with 25 weeker - it's totally normal. Sophie seemed to be doing really well and hardly having any then all of a sudden at 2 weeks old, she had a lot in a row one afternoon and they put her back on the ventilator for a couple of days. I was really upset but they told me it would give her a rest which was exactly what she needed, and she was better again when she came off it and didn't have to ever go back on it.

She did have a lot of bradys and desats over the next few weeks but not enough to warrant going back on the ventilator. At 37 weeks I remember feeling like she'd really gone back a step because she was getting loads again, even went blue and floppy one time when I was bf her - the scariest moment of my life. The nurses said she had just forgotten to breathe when she was feeding, because there is so much to co-ordinate with the breathing, sucking and swallowing. All of a sudden though, at 38-39 weeks, everything just seemed to click and she was suddenly having none! The consultant told me it's like something in their brain just needs to connect up and suddenly they are fine - but he said it's all just a matter of time.

It is really scary but your LO is in good hands and it's unfortunately something that happens all the time - 25 weeker is right though, one day it will just be like a switch has been flicked.

They are completly normal but you may want to pay attention if the desats are associated with "feeding: in particular the end of the feed. My LO had desats all the time especially @ the end of his feed

I can't stand them. He had 10 bradys last night.

hi girls!! i am just wondering what are bradys?

Bradycardia (brady) is the slowing of the heart rate.

Srrme - When are the bradys and destats happening? And what does it take for him to recover?

Reflux and issues with feeding are common causes for both. As is coming off oxygen support, some times they just forget to breath or become too use to having the machine to do it for them. Lakai had a few before he learned to breath on his own. He was on the vent for 71 days, on CPAP for 2 weeks and nasal prongs for 2 weeks.

They happen randomly through out the day. He had a blood transfusion a few days ago which has lessened them a lot. He was on CPAP only for a couple days before they put him on nasal prongs (he was never on a vent).

Most of the time he recovers on his own, but sometimes they have to pat his back or tickle his feet to get him to breath.

Gestationally he is still quite young so he is probably just forgetting to breath. My lo done this and sometimes needed a little prod to remind her. I think they are a little bit worse when they are particularly tired. Unfortunately it may be a few more weeks until he stops doing it.