Abstract
Sinus arrhythmia is the variation in heart rate attributable to respiration. Fox and Forges (1985) have found that the “amplitude” of sinus arrhythmia measured near birth is correlated with developmental outcome at 8 and 12 months of age. We wanted to determine if age and/or health significantly affected the manifestation of sinus arrhythmia in prmature infants while in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Thirteen preterm infants were monitored over a 2-6 week period from as early as 30 weeks oonoeptional age (CA) to 35 weeks CA. Heart rate respiration, body movements, eye movements, eye openings and crying were recorded for 48 continuous hours per week in these infants. From these variables, sleep-wake states and sinus arrhythmia were determined.
Instantaneous heart rate (IHR) was determined for 1 minute epochs of quiet sleep using the method of Cheung and Forges (1977).
Fast Fourier transforms of the IHR were used to evaluate sinus arrhythmia. Results indicate that sinus arrhythmia is evident in preterm infants, and individual differences in this phenomenon may reflect the infant's health status and sleep state organization. Sinus arrhythmia appears to reflect the degree of biological organization of the preterm infant and his vulnerability to environmental perturbations in the NICU.
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Garbanati, J. SINUS ARRHYTHMIA IN PRETERM INFANTS. Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 181 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00089
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00089