ABSTRACT
Ventilatory behavior in the neonate is the combined result of innate factors including genetic predisposition and neural capacity, and of experiential factors that facilitate adaptation to the immediate postnatal (PN) environment (1-6). Neonatal acquisition of behavior exhibits features of learning and memory (7-11) and direction of neural development by external cues (2,12,13). Structural and functional flexibility are an essential feature of development, maintenance, and expression of neural circuitry (14).
