BACKGROUND: Heart rate variability (HRV) has emerged as a predictor of later cardiac risk. This study tested whether pregnancy complications that may have long-term offspring cardiac sequelae are associated with differences in HRV at birth, and whether these HRV differences identify abnormal cardiovascular development in the postnatal period. METHODS: Ninety-eight sleeping neonates had 5-min electrocardiogram recordings at birth. Standard time and frequency domain parameters were calculated and related to cardiovascular measures at birth and 3 months of age. RESULTS: Increasing prematurity, but not maternal hypertension or growth restriction, was associated with decreased HRV at birth, as demonstrated by a lower root mean square of the difference between adjacent NN intervals (rMSSD) and low (LF) and high-frequency power (HF), with decreasing gestational age (p
Journal article
Pediatr Res
07/2018
84
85 - 91
Adult, Arrhythmias, Cardiac, Autonomic Nervous System, Cardiovascular System, Electrocardiography, Female, Gestational Age, Heart, Heart Rate, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Male, Multivariate Analysis, Parturition, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Regression Analysis