Rare Condition Causes Infant to Stop Breathing While Sleeping

Naptime could be fatal for a six-month-old infant who suffers from a rare condition that causes her to stop breathing every time she falls asleep, the Daily Mail reported.

As a result, Jovie Wyse has to spend 21 hours a day on a special ventilator to keep her alive in case she suddenly falls asleep.

Jovie was born premature, and doctors initially thought she was simply slow in developing her breathing.

However, after months of testing, she was eventually diagnosed with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS), which means that her body does not breathe automatically when she is asleep.

The condition is so rare that there are only about 300 known cases in the world. Jovie underwent a tracheotomy to treat the condition and was kept on a ventilator 24 hours a day.

Eventually, she was taken off the ventilator for short periods during the day, and her parents have been allowed to take her home for the first time since her birth in May.

However, Jovie’s condition is so dangerous that she will have to be monitored constantly by her parents and health care professionals to make sure her breathing remains stable through the night.

She will also have to remain within easy access of some kind of ventilation for the rest of her life – though this could be limited to a ventilation mask when she is older and stronger.

Click here to read more from the Daily Mail.