Is prone sleeping dangerous for neonates? Polysomnographic characteristics and NDN gene analysis

Objective: Prone sleep is an identified risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome, possibly due to reduced blood pressure, cerebral oxygenation, and impaired cerebral vascular control. Cardiac and respiratory responses in neonates during supine and prone sleep have not been reported. Materials and Methods: In this study, daytime polysomnography (PSG) data from 17 neonates aged 2-3 days during supine and prone sleep were reported and the NDN gene, an important gene for neonatal respiratory control, was sequenced for correlation with neonatal respiratory parameters. Heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation, carbon dioxide concentration, sleep stages, central apnea index (CAI), obstructive apnea/hypopnea index (OAHI), and oxygen nadir were compared between supine and prone sleep and between participants with different single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the NDN gene. Results: During prone sleep, neonates had a faster HR, decreased oxygen saturation, and a longer duration of oxygen saturation