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Maternal and neonatal influences on, and reproducibility of, neonatal aortic pulse wave velocity

Abir Koudsi1, John Oldroyd, Patrick McElduff

  • 1Clinical Epidemiology and Cardiovascular Medicine Group, Division of Cardiovascular and Endocrine Sciences, University Department of Medicine, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, United Kingdom.

Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)
|November 8, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Infant aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV), a measure of vascular stiffness, was inversely related to maternal blood pressure during pregnancy. This finding suggests infant aPWV may indicate early vascular health influenced by the gestational environment.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Neonatal Health
  • Vascular Biology

Background:

  • Aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) is a key indicator of vascular stiffness and cardiovascular disease risk.
  • Limited research exists on early-life aPWV and its association with maternal factors.
  • Understanding these relationships is crucial for identifying early cardiovascular risk markers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between infant aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) and maternal anthropometry and blood pressure (BP) at 28 weeks gestation.
  • To determine if neonatal aPWV is influenced by maternal health indicators during pregnancy.
  • To assess the reproducibility of aPWV measurements in newborns.

Main Methods:

  • 148 newborns in Manchester had their aPWV measured within 1-3 days of birth.
  • Maternal anthropometry and BP were recorded at 28 weeks gestation.
  • Reproducibility of aPWV was assessed in 30 infants.
  • Multiple regression analysis was used to adjust for confounding factors.

Main Results:

  • A high reproducibility of aPWV was observed in neonates.
  • Contrary to the hypothesis, a significant inverse relationship was found between neonatal aPWV and maternal systolic BP.
  • Neonatal aPWV was positively correlated with birth length, birth weight, and neonatal systolic BP.
  • Neonatal aPWV remained inversely associated with maternal systolic BP after adjusting for multiple factors.

Conclusions:

  • Infant aPWV is a reproducible measure of vascular status in newborns.
  • Neonatal aPWV is inversely associated with maternal systolic BP, suggesting a complex interaction.
  • Infant aPWV may serve as a sensitive index of the gestational environment's impact on vascular health.

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