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Reducing babies oxygen intake

This is an interesting study where 34 babies were given reduced oxygen for an average of 6.9 hours by only giving them 15% oxygen in the air they breathe rather than the normal 20%.

In 4 infants exposure to hypoxic conditions was ended early because of prolonged and severe falls in oxygen saturation.

Now this is what is called a "non-theraputic" intervention. That is something is done to the babies which is not to improve their health. That something is to reduce the amount of oxygen they breathe.

This sounds a very odd thing for anyone to agree to for their 3 month old child.

In particular (see above italics) it caused material problems for about 10% of the babies.

Comments

John Hemming said…
Save that the circumstances were not comparable (for this you have to see the Griffiths report).

It did not test for these circumstances.
1:55 pm
John Hemming said…
I would not deny that the research is motivated in part at least by a desire to know what happens.

The questions remains, however, as to whether or not the research is ethical.
8:18 pm
John Hemming said…
The question is whether a reduction in the barometric pressure causes a change in breathing patterns to compensate that does not occur when only the proportion of oxygen is changed.

That is one reason why the particular experiment did not compare to the change when going to high altitude (or in a plane).
3:48 pm
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