Failure to Secure Oxygen for the Baby: While you and I can endure relatively extended
periods of oxygen deprivation, a fetus or newborn child can not.
Even brief
periods of oxygen deprivation can have serious consequences for newborns and their parents.
While most children survive
periods of oxygen deprivation, many will be left with permanent medical conditions, including cerebral palsy and autism.
In a study involving rats, researchers discovered that young male rats respond to normal episodes of hypoxia, or brief
periods of oxygen deprivation, during sleep by increasing brain activity to take deeper and more frequent breaths.