Apnea Alarm Going Off in the NICU

A scary moment for any first time NICU parent is when the apnea alarm goees off on their baby’s monitor.  Insitinctive concern and worry floods all emotions and thought, and the natural reaction is to jump into action to protect their baby.  After all, something is clearly wrong, right?  If the apnea alarm sounded, something is different than the norm.

This is not always the case.  Apnea can be defined as extended periods of time when an infant does not breathe.  Sometimes as long as 15 to 20 seconds.  Apnea monitors are programmed to soun d an alarm if a baby does not breathe after a certain number of seconds.

When the apnea alarm sounds, the infant’s nurse will immediately come check the baby.  False alarms do happen, and are not uncommon in the NICU.  In the event it is not a false alarm, the nurse will then rub or gently pat the baby’s back, lungs, and/or legs to help stimulate breathing.  When stimulated in this manner, it is common for infants to resume breathing on their own.

However, if the infant does not resume breathing on their own, and starts to turn a pale gray or blue, then oxygen may need to be administered via a mask  and handheld bag.  The nurse and/or doctor or practioner will then administer several pumps of oxygen while the mask is placed over the infant’s face.  This is done slowly, and usually the baby will resume breathing on its own.

New parents to the NICU should understand this can happen frequently while their baby is in the NICU.  The best thing to do is to remain calm and wait for the nurse.  If the nurse does not arrive immediately, notify the nearest NICU nurse to come check on the baby.