Latest / Life in the NICU: Unfiltered
Why NICU Babies Get Caffeine (And It's Nothing Like Yours)
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Takeaways
Apnea of prematurity happens because a premature baby's brain is still developing and doesn't yet consistently signal the lungs to breathe, and caffeine helps strengthen that signal.
The caffeine used in the NICU, caffeine citrate, is a different formulation than the caffeine anhydrous found in coffee, so it is not the same as giving a baby "a little bit of coffee."
Caffeine is typically discontinued around 33 to 35 weeks gestational age once a baby goes five to seven days…
The skinny
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