Car Seat Inserts Can Reduce Severity of Desaturations in Term Newborns

Most preterm newborns undergo an infant car seat challenge before hospital discharge to assess their propensity to episodes of desaturation while sleeping in a car seat. However, studies suggest that term newborns might also be at risk for desaturations and that intermittent hypoxia might have long-term effects. Researchers in New Zealand randomized 78 term newborns (mean age, 8 days) to a regular car seat or one with an inch-thick plastic foam insert with a cutout for the baby's occiput. The insert theoretically allowed a neutral head position and an open, unflexed airway during sleep.

Analysis of polysomnograms conducted in the infant's home (mean sleep duration, about 2 hours) showed that both groups experienced a mean of 17 moderate desa…