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Impact of maternal obesity on neonatal heart rate and cardiac size
Alan M Groves1, Anthony N Price2, Tamarind Russell-Webster3,4
1Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, Texas, USA alan.groves@austin.utexas.edu.
Insights
Maternal obesity impacts newborn heart function, leading to higher heart rates and lower heart rate variability. These findings suggest a link between maternal weight and offspring cardiovascular health.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neonatal Health
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Background:
- Maternal obesity is a potential risk factor for offspring cardiovascular disease.
- This study investigates the effects of maternal obesity on fetal cardiac development and function in newborns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of maternal obesity on newborn cardiac structure and function.
- To identify early markers of cardiovascular risk in infants of obese mothers.
Main Methods:
- Compared cardiac MRI and ECG data from 72-hour-old neonates born to healthy weight mothers (n=56) versus obese mothers (n=31).
- Utilized non-sedated, free-breathing cardiac MRI and 25-minute continuous ECG recordings.
Main Results:
- Infants of obese mothers exhibited higher heart rates (123 vs 114 bpm) and lower heart rate variability (SDNN 34.6 vs 43.9 ms) during sleep.
- Decreased left ventricular end-diastolic volume (2.35 vs 2.54 mL/kg) and stroke volume (1.50 vs 1.60 mL/kg) were observed in neonates of obese mothers.
- No significant differences were found in left ventricular end-systolic volume, ejection fraction, cardiac output, or myocardial mass.
Conclusions:
- Maternal obesity is associated with altered cardiac function in newborns, including increased heart rate and reduced heart rate variability.
- These neonatal cardiac changes may represent an early mechanism contributing to the increased cardiovascular risk observed in adult offspring of obese mothers.
- Optimizing maternal health during pregnancy could potentially improve long-term cardiovascular outcomes for offspring.
Background:
Maternal obesity may increase offspring risk of cardiovascular disease. We assessed the impact of maternal obesity on cardiac structure and function in newborns as a marker of fetal cardiac growth.
Methods:
Neonates born to mothers of healthy weight (body mass index (BMI) 20-25 kg/m2, n=56) and to mothers who were obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2, n=31) underwent 25-minute continuous ECG recording and non-sedated, free-breathing cardiac MRI within 72 hours of birth.
Results:
Mean (SD) heart rate during sleep was higher in infants born to mothers who were versus were not obese (123 (12.6) vs 114 (9.8) beats/min, p=0.002). Heart rate variability during sleep was lower in infants born to mothers who were versus were not obese (SD of normal-to-normal R-R interval 34.6 (16.8) vs 43.9 (16.5) ms, p=0.05). Similar heart rate changes were seen during wakefulness. Left ventricular end-diastolic volume (2.35 (0.14) vs 2.54 (0.29) mL/kg, p=0.03) and stroke volume (1.50 (0.09) vs 1.60 (0.14), p=0.04) were decreased in infants born to mothers who were versus were not obese. There were no differences in left ventricular end-systolic volume, ejection fraction, output or myocardial mass between the groups.
Conclusion:
Maternal obesity was associated with increased heart rate, decreased heart rate variability and decreased left ventricular volumes in newborns. If persistent, these changes may provide a causal mechanism for the increased cardiovascular risk in adult offspring of mothers with obesity. In turn, modifying antenatal and perinatal maternal health may have the potential to optimise long-term cardiovascular health in offspring.
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