The first cry of a baby is very important to affirm that the lungs are functioning properly. After birth the babies must breathe continuously to get oxygen, however in a premature baby the central nervous system is not mature enough to allow non stop breathing as they have yet to be developed completely.
This causes large bursts of breath followed by periods of shallow breathing; the medical term for this is Apnea of Prematurity. Though it is a frightening sight it goes with the infant's maturity. Most experts define AOP as the condition when the infant stops breathing for 15- 20 seconds during sleep.
The abnormality begins after 2 days of life and lasts for about 3- 4 months. With proper medical care in the neonatal intensive care unit the premature infants overcome AOP within a few weeks and start breathing normally.
Pic courtesy Kekka on www.flickr.com
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