Resting heart rate does not predict growth in preterm infants

Area of Science:

• Neonatalogy
• Pediatric Growth and Development
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Previous studies suggested a correlation between higher baseline heart rate (HR) and greater weight gain in preterm infants.
• The potential of resting HR as a marker for extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) risk was explored.
• This study included preterm infants born between 27 and 36 weeks gestation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To verify the correlation between resting heart rate (HR) and weight gain in preterm infants.
• To assess the utility of resting HR as a predictive marker for extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR).

Main Methods:

• A retrospective chart review was conducted.
• Heart rate (HR) and growth data were collected for 156 infants.
• Infants were between 27.0 and 34.0 weeks gestation, from birth to hospital discharge.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in weight gain was observed from day 10 in infants with higher resting HR compared to those with lower resting HR.
• However, after controlling for birth weight and gestational age, no significant relationship between HR and weight gain was found across all gestational age groups.
• The initial correlation did not hold when key confounding factors were considered.

Conclusions:

• Contrary to prior reports, resting heart rate (HR) is not a significant predictor of growth in preterm infants when birth weight and gestational age are controlled.
• The search for reliable clinical markers to identify preterm infants at risk for poor growth is crucial.
• Identifying such markers can facilitate timely nutritional interventions to improve growth and developmental outcomes.