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  • Original Article
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Low Blood Pressure among Very-low-birth-weight Infants with Fetal Vessel Inflammation

Journal of Perinatology volume 24, pages 299–304 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that fetal vessel inflammation (FVI: funisitis and/or fetal vasculitis) is associated with lower blood pressure (BP) over the first week of life and an increased risk of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) among premature infants.

STUDY DESIGN: A total of 255 infants born at <1350 g to normotensive mothers were stratified by gestational age (GA) and grouped by presence/absence of FVI on placental pathology. Daily highest (Hi) and lowest (Lo) systolic BP (BPsys), mean BP (BPmn) and diastolic BP (BPdia) over first 7 days of life were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA and regression analysis. Cranial ultrasounds were obtained at 2 weeks of life.

RESULTS: Infants ≥30 weeks gestation with FVI had lower HiBPsys, HiBPmn, HiBPdia, LoBPsys, LoBPmn and LoBPdia (p<0.001) than did infants without FVI. Infants with PVL (all ≤27 weeks gestation) had lower LoBPmn and LoBPdia (p<0.01) than controls. FVI did not increase the risk of PVL in these infants.

CONCLUSION: FVI and PVL are associated with reduced BP over the first week of life.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Toby Debra Yanowitz MD, Robyn Wyman Baker BSNCRNP & Beverly Sobchak Brozanski MD

  2. Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    James Michael Roberts MD & Beverly Sobchak Brozanski MD

  3. Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Toby Debra Yanowitz MD & James Michael Roberts MD

Authors
  1. Toby Debra Yanowitz MD
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  2. Robyn Wyman Baker BSNCRNP
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  3. James Michael Roberts MD
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  4. Beverly Sobchak Brozanski MD
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This study was supported by NIH K23 HD01317.

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Yanowitz, T., Baker, R., Roberts, J. et al. Low Blood Pressure among Very-low-birth-weight Infants with Fetal Vessel Inflammation. J Perinatol 24, 299–304 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7211091

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