Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 20, 2026
Fetal Mouse Cardiovascular Imaging Using a High-frequency Ultrasound (30/45MHZ) System
Published on: May 5, 2018
Acute cardiovascular responses in preterm infants at 34-39 weeks of gestational age
Suvi Viskari-Lähdeoja1, Timo Hytinantti, Sture Andersson
1Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki, Finland. suvi.viskari@helsinki.fi
Background:
Premature infants demonstrate immature physiological control mechanisms; however their acute cardiovascular control has not yet been widely studied.
Aim:
The aim of this study was to analyze heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) control in preterm infants.
Subjects:
Twenty preterm infants with a mean gestational age of 31 ± 2.4 (26-34) weeks at birth were evaluated at a gestational age of 36 ± 1.5 (34-39) weeks. Results were compared to twenty, healthy, full-term, control infants studied at the age of 12 ± 3 weeks.
Outcome Measures:
HR and BP responses to 45° head-up tilt and side motion tests during non-rapid eye movement sleep were analyzed. In addition, HR responses to spontaneous arousals from non-rapid eye movement sleep were evaluated.
Results:
Preterm infants showed significantly smaller initial HR and BP responses compared with controls in head-up tilt (HR p=0.0005, systolic BP p=0.02, diastolic BP p=0.01) and side motion tests (HR p=0.002, systolic BP p<0.0001, diastolic BP p<0.0001). Furthermore, in tilt tests, preterm infants presented with greater intersubject variability in BP responses than controls (systolic BP p=0.009, diastolic BP p=0005). Preterm HR responses to spontaneous arousals were similar to controls.
Conclusions:
This study indicates immature vestibulo-mediated cardiovascular control in preterm infants compared with term infants. This is seen as attenuated BP responses to side motion test and more labile acute BP control to postural challenge.
