Discontinuation of home apnea monitoring: A time of stress for parents

Home apnea monitoring (HAM) is stressful to parents but discontinuing the monitor (D/C) is also very anxiety provoking. We have assessed 25 families' adjustment by questionnaire 2 months after D/C. HAM was used for 7 months average (range 2-36) with infants 9 months of age average (3-41) at D/C. 14/25 had true apnea alarms at home and 17/25 felt that HAM saved their child's life. 10/25 families insisted HAM be continued beyond the D/C criteria because of severe anxiety. HAM was D/C 'cold turkey' in 17/25 and 4 weaned off gradually (4 uncertain). The first weeks after D/C, parents frequently checked the infant at night: 12/25 every 15 minutes, 8 at least 2-3 times/night, 3 once/night, and 1 if baby slept late. 2 months after D/C, 9/25 families still checked 2 times/night. After D/C, 19/25 mothers were 'anxious, sick with worry, or scared to death', and 9 reported significant depression usually with weight loss and sleep disturbance. After D/C 7 marriages were better, 2 worse, and 12 unchanged. Siblings and infants seemed unchanged by D/C. Because of the HAM experience, 8 families will have no further children. All 25 would use HAM again and would recommend it to others. Therefore, most parents experienced extreme stress for at least 2 months after D/C HAM. This should be anticipated and lead to continued family support.