Maturation of the autonomic nervous system: differences in heart rate variability in premature vs. term infants
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Elke Longin
Abstract
Aims: Heart rate variability (HRV) reveals information on the functional state of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). This study was initiated to assess the physiological- and maturational development of the ANS by comparing HRV data of healthy prematures with term infants.
Methods: Short-term recordings of HRV in 39 premature healthy infants (29–35 weeks' gestation) were performed and compared with normative data of term infants. Frequency domain HRV parameters are computed in three frequency bands.
Results: Gestational age of newborn infants is correlated with HRV. Prematures showed significant lower HRV parameters than term infants. The most significant differences were discerned for HRV parameters reflecting parasympathetic activity, whereas the pulse of the baro-receptor reflex was similar for prematures and term infants at 0.07 Hz (0.1 Hz adults). A respiratory peak in the HF-band according to respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), as is common in adults, was not detected for prematures as it is not detected in term infants.
Conclusions: Maturation of the ANS is accompanied by increasing HRV with a pronounced increase of parasympathetic activity. These changes are measurable by short-term recordings. The physiological pulses concerning baroreceptor reflex activity and respiratory modulation were similar in prematures and term infants.
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©2006 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York
Artikel in diesem Heft
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Artikel in diesem Heft
- Advances in Perinatal Medicine - 5th Annual meeting of the Italian Society of Perinatal Medicine held in Parma, Italy on June 15th – 17th 2006
- Hemorrhagic shock in obstetrics
- Altered protease expression by periarterial trophoblast cells in severe early-onset preeclampsia with IUGR
- Gestational diabetes mellitus in patients receiving long-term corticosteroid therapy during pregnancy
- Accuracy and influence of ascorbic acid on glucose-test with urine dip sticks in prenatal care
- Protein C, protein S, and thrombomodulin in amniotic fluid. A preliminary study
- Timing of cord clamping revisited
- Intrapartum cardiotocography – the dilemma of interpretational variation
- Maturation of the autonomic nervous system: differences in heart rate variability in premature vs. term infants
- Four chamber view plus three-vessel and trachea view for a complete evaluation of the fetal heart during the second trimester
- Pleural fluid/serum immunoglobulin ratio is a diagnostic marker for congenital chylothorax in utero
- Fetal brain sparing is strongly related to the degree of increased placental vascular impedance
- Outcome of fetuses in women with pregestational diabetes mellitus
- Outcome of fetuses in women with pregestational diabetes mellitus
- Inhaled nitric oxide therapy might reduce the need for hyperventilation therapy in infants with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn
- To drain or not to drain: a single institution experience with neonatal intestinal perforation
- Infective puerperal endocarditis caused by Escherichia coli
- Correlation between plasma and urinary caffeine levels in preterm infants
- Fetal ascites secondary to urinary hydrocolpos
- Congress Calendar
- Suppression of IL-2 and IFN-γ production in women with spontaneous preterm labor
