Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
06:27
Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates
Published on: December 31, 2015
Relative intima-media thickening after preterm birth
Ulf Schubert1, Matthias Müller, Hashim Abdul-Khaliq
1Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. ulfschubert@gmx.de
Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|July 16, 2013
Summary
Very preterm infants show thicker arterial walls relative to vessel size compared to term infants. This vascular change may indicate future cardiovascular disease risk.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal physiology
- Vascular biology
- Cardiovascular health
Background:
- Preterm infants face heightened risks of arterial growth issues and cardiovascular mortality.
- Intima-media thickness (IMT) serves as an early indicator of accelerated vascular aging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate intima-media thickness (IMT) in very preterm infants as a marker of vascular development.
- To compare arterial wall thickness in preterm versus term infants.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal cohort study involving 21 very preterm and 29 term infants.
- Intima-media thickness (IMT) was measured using M-Mode ultrasound of the aorta and carotid arteries.
- Measurements were taken over a 6-month period, from the third trimester equivalent to 3 months post-term equivalent age.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in absolute aortic or carotid IMT were observed between groups.
- Relative to vessel lumen diameter, IMT was thicker in preterm infants compared to term infants at equivalent postmenstrual ages.
- While aortic and carotid diameters grew with postnatal age, IMT did not show similar increases.
Conclusions:
- Preterm infants exhibit relatively thicker intima-media in major arteries compared to term infants.
- Further research is needed to determine if this relative thickening persists and predicts future cardiovascular disease risk.
