Which of the following conditions is a risk of prone positioning of infants?

Prone positioning in infants, which involves placing them on their stomachs while they sleep or rest, can lead to hypercapnia. This condition occurs when there's an excess of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the bloodstream. In a prone position, infants may have difficulty effectively clearing CO2 due to reduced airflow or inadequate breathing patterns. When infants are positioned on their stomachs, they may have their faces pressed against bedding or other surfaces, which can obstruct the airflow and contribute to respiratory compromise. Consequently, this can lead to elevated CO2 levels, resulting in hypercapnia.

Understanding this risk is particularly important for caregivers and healthcare providers, as hypercapnia can have serious implications for an infant's health, including potential respiratory distress and related complications. Awareness of such risks is crucial in promoting safe sleep practices and reducing the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), as prone positioning is known to increase SIDS risk due to the potential for compromised respiratory function.