Question
A 38-week preemie experienced arrhythmia in the womb and choked on water. After birth, the baby was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit for observation and treatment for 10 days, then moved to a general ward. The heart rate monitoring showed some values below the normal range, and there was an unclosed heart hole. I would like to inquire about the reason for the slow heartbeat.
Answer
The slow heartbeat may be due to the newborn being in a state of sleep most of the time, with an average heart rate of about 90 beats per minute being normal. Another value of over 90 could be the blood oxygen saturation level. The arrhythmia may be caused by intrauterine distress and brain edema. The transfer to a general ward indicates an improvement in the condition. The current situation looks good, so please rest assured.