Baby breathing – why breathing movement is so crucial

Breathing is one of the most important vital functions and in humans, it is controlled by the brain, more precisely by the respiratory center in the brainstem. There, specialized nerve cells work automatically and continuously adjust the breathing rate to the body's needs – for example, during sleep, crying, fever, or physical activity.

How baby breathing works and why it is still immature in the first few months

In newborns, breathing occurs almost exclusively via the diaphragm muscle, as the intercostal muscles are still weak.

This means:

• Breathing is clearly visible in the chest and upper abdominal area.
• Babies breathe significantly faster than adults – approx. 30–50 breaths per minute (adults: 12–20).
• Breathing movements are often irregular: There are small pauses, brief fluttering, or shallow breaths

If breathing stops, the first sign is that the chest no longer rises. In babies, especially in the first few months of life, the respiratory system is not yet fully developed. This can affect how babies breathe – and how stable this vital process is. It is also said that babies simply forget to breathe, which can be dangerous if they do not start breathing again on their own.
 

Risks associated with SIDS:

What role do breathing monitoring and temperature control play?

Modern technology can now do more than just display and alarm individual values – it can provide preventive support. 

Changes such as longer breathing pauses or an unexpected increase in body temperature can be indicators of a strain on the still immature regulatory systems of babies – factors that are also discussed in connection with risk situations such as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). 

Why SpO₂ measurement is not sufficient for babies

Pulse oximeters (SpO₂ devices) detect how much oxygen is bound in the blood – but not whether the baby is breathing at all.
And that's precisely the problem: The oxygen level in the blood only drops with a delay after breathing has already stopped.

• In babies, critical apnea cannot be detected immediately.
• SpO₂ sensors are sensitive to movement, cold, or poor circulation in the foot and arm – which is often the case in babies.

Therefore, pure SpO₂ values are not a reliable early warning for respiratory arrest in babies.