Sleep Studies

1. Patients who are siblings of a baby who has died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
2. Patients with histories of ALTES (apparent life threatening events)
3. Patients with apnea of prematurity or apnea of infancy
4. Patients with suspected reflux
5. Patients with conditions causing low oxygen saturations and/or elevations in carbon dioxide (hypoventilation syndrome/BPD)
6. Symptomatic infants of drug addicted mothers
7. Patients with suspected obstructive episodes

1. Pneumogram (chest wall movement)
2. Plethysmogram (abdominal movement)
3. Heart rate
4. Digital pulse
5. EKG
6. Oxygen hemoglobin saturations
7. Air flow
8. End Tidal Carbon Dioxide Levels
9. Esophageal pH (optional)
10. EEG (optional)
11. EOG (optional)
12. EMG (optional)

1. Apnea Density - what percent of sleep time is the patient apneic (not breathing)?
2. Apnea Index - how many apneas per hour is the patient having?
3. Respiratory Rate (mean, highs, lows)
4. Heart rate ( means, highs, lows for active, quiet, and fed times)
1. Bradycardias
2. Tachycardias
5. Oxygen saturation (mean, standard deviation)
1. Oxygen desaturation index - # desaturations to <90% per hour
2. Oxygen desaturation density - % of time spent at <=90%
6. End-tidal Carbon Dioxide (highs)
1. Obstructive apneas (lack of airflow with continued respiratory effort)
2. Mixed apneas (lack of airflow with central and obstructive components)
7. % Periodic breathing (% of sleep time spent in an irregular breathing pattern of 3 or more respiratory pauses lasting 3 or more seconds with <20 seconds of normal respiration between the pauses)
8. Esophageal pH
1. Number of episodes <=4.0
2. Number of episodes <=5.0 for infants <=2mo. of age
3. % of study time with reflux
4. Episodes lasting >=15 seconds in duration which occur >=2 hours of feeding
9. EEG/EMG/EOG parameters - stage sleep

Where are the studies performed?

At one of our two hospital based locations, in Lake Jackson or Houston, Texas.

Results are usually available within 72 hours. If the sleep study technician observed significant abnormalities during the study, a physician will be contacted at the time.