ABSTRACT
Apnea of prematurity is a condition frequently seen in preterm infants. It is defined as a cessation in breathing for more than 20 seconds, or less than 20 seconds if it is associated with bradycardia and/or cyanosis. Since the 1970s, methylxanthines have been used to treat apnea of prematurity. Over the years, various methylxanthines have been used including theophylline, amino-phylline, and caffeine. Currently, caffeine is most commonly used due to a wide therapeutic window with fewer risks of side effects. We do not have to draw levels with caffeine compared with theophylline and aminophylline. Infants born at 34 0/7 weeks to 36 6/7 weeks of gestation were called near-term until 2005 when the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health held a workshop entitled “Optimizing Care and Outcome of the Near-Term Pregnancy and the Near-Term Newborn Infant.”.
