Interaction of heart rate and respiration in newborn babies

Variability of heart rate (HRV) and transthoracic electric impedance respirogram (TEZ) were examined by spectral analysis in three groups of neonates: healthy term babies (22), healthy preterm babies (21), and preterm babies with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) (11). Heart rate, TEZ, PtcO2, and PtcCO2 were monitored during quiet sleep on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th day of postnatal life. Autospectra for trend-corrected segments of heart rate and TEZ as well as their cross-spectral density was in less than 0.2 Hz [low frequency (LF)] area (less than 12 cycles/min) in all the neonates. Intergroup comparisons of average band-integrated spectra revealed that the LF spectral density of HRV was greater in the term babies than in the preterm babies on day 3. In the babies with RDS, both LF and high-frequency (HF, greater than 0.2 Hz) were abnormally low throughout the study. In the term infants, the TEZ amplitude spectrum was flat on day 1. On later days, a peak corresponding to the average respiratory rate emerged. In the healthy preterm babies, there was a LF peak in TEZ autospectrum on all days. In the babies with RDS, the peak of ventilator frequency was initially present; finally, the respiratory activity accumulated in the LF area. In the cross-spectra of term babies, there was a LF peak on all days. On day 5, an additional HF peak appeared, representing respiratory sinus arrhythmia. In the healthy preterm babies, only a LF peak was present.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)