Breathing Patterns In The Newborn And Related Cardiovascular Adjustments

Abstract

The transition from foetal to neonatal life is a dramatic one; it demands considerable and effective physiological alteration in the newborn to ensure survival. Simultaneously cardio-respiratory adjustments are initiated and breathing maintained on a continuous basis. The basic movements in the human foetus being about 8 weeks after conception, and by 12 weeks some of these foetal breathing movements have attained a pattern similar to respiration. At birth also, the regulatory neural network responsible for respiratory control is capable of generating robust rhythm-driven ventilation that can adjust to homeostatic needs. The so far unexplained conversion from episodic to continuous breathing with the onset of birth remains one of the mysteries of perinatal medicine. The initiation and establishment of breathing is of paramount importance to the survival of the newborn. Normal breathing requires pre-Botzinger complex neuro-kinin-1 receptor-expressing neurons. Some respiratory reflexes have been demonstrated in the newborn that control respiration. One of such is the Hering-Breuer Inflation Reflex (HBIR). The conversion from intrauterine to extrauterine life is accompanied by adjustments in virtually every organ system but the focus of this review is on that of the respiratory system and its effects on the cardiovascular system. These changes ensure that the newborn adjusts quietly and uniquely to its new environment at birth.

Keywords: Breathing patterns, newborn, cardiovascular adjustments.

Journal of Mining and Geology Vol. 5 (1&2) 2006: pp. 23-35