Skip to main content
PMC home page
Archives of Disease in Childhood logoLink to Archives of Disease in Childhood
. 1977 Jul;52(7):534–540. doi: 10.1136/adc.52.7.534

Cardiovascular effects of apnoea in preterm infants.

C N Storrs
PMCID: PMC1544778  PMID: 879846

Abstract

Cardiovascular reflex responses have been studied in 9 newborn preterm infants with apnoeic episodes and in 2 preterm infants with periodic breathing. Respiration, blood pressure, heart rate, and peripheral blood flow were simultaneously recorded. Peripheral blood flow was measured in the leg by venous occlusion plethysmography. During apnoea, bradycardia and peripheral vasoconstriction occur. There is little change in blood pressure though pulse pressure increases. No cardiovascular changes were seen before the onset of apnoea. Periodic breathing had little effect on peripheral blood flow. Preterm infants with gestations as low as 27 weeks apparently have well developed chemoreceptor reflexes which would tend to preserve blood supply to the brain during conditions of hypoxia.

Full text

PDF
535

Images in this article

537Fig. 1
on p.537
537Fig. 2
on p.537

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alden E. R., Mandelkorn T., Woodrum D. E., Wennberg R. P., Parks C. R., Hodson W. A. Morbidity and mortality of infants weighing less than 1,000 grams in an intensive care nursery. Pediatrics. 1972 Jul;50(1):40–49. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Behrman R. E., Lees M. H., Peterson E. N., De Lannoy C. W., Seeds A. E. Distribution of the circulation in the normal and asphyxiated fetal primate. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1970 Nov 15;108(6):956–969. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(70)90341-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Chalmers J. P., Korner P. I., White S. W. Local and reflex factors affecting the distribution of the peripheral blood flow during arterial hypoxia in the rabbit. J Physiol. 1967 Sep;192(2):537–548. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1967.sp008315. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cross C. E., Rieben P. A., Barron C. I., Salisbury P. F. Effects of arterial hypoxia on the heart and circulation: an integrative study. Am J Physiol. 1963 Nov;205(5):963–970. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1963.205.5.963. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DE BURGH DALY M., SCOTT M. J. An analysis of the primary cardiovascular reflex effects of stimulation of the carotid body chemoreceptors in the dog. J Physiol. 1962 Aug;162:555–573. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1962.sp006950. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Daily W. J., Klaus M., Meyer H. B. Apnea in premature infants: monitoring, incidence, heart rate changes, and an effect of environmental temperature. Pediatrics. 1969 Apr;43(4):510–518. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dawes G. S., Duncan S. L., Lewis B. V., Merlet C. L., Owen-Thomas J. B., Reeves J. T. Hypoxaemia and aortic chemoreceptor function in foetal lambs. J Physiol. 1969 Mar;201(1):105–116. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1969.sp008745. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. De Burgh Daly M., Hazzledine J. L., Ungar A. The reflex effects of alterations in lung volume on systemic vascular resistance in the dog. J Physiol. 1967 Feb;188(3):331–351. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1967.sp008142. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Girling D. J. Changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse pressure during apnoeic attacks in newborn babies. Arch Dis Child. 1972 Jun;47(253):405–410. doi: 10.1136/adc.47.253.405. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. James J. E., Daly M. de B. Cardiovascular responses in apnoeic asphyxia: role of arterial chemoreceptors and the modification of their effects by a pulmonary vagal inflation reflex. J Physiol. 1969 Mar;201(1):87–104. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1969.sp008744. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kidd L., Levison H., Gemmel P., Aharon A., Swyer P. R. Limb blood flow in the normal and sick newborn. A plethysmographic study. Am J Dis Child. 1966 Nov;112(5):402–407. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1966.02090140074004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Levison H., Kidd B. S., Gemmell P. A., Swyer P. R. Blood pressure in normal full-term and premature infants. Am J Dis Child. 1966 Apr;111(4):374–379. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1966.02090070072009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Powers W. F., Swyer P. R. Limb blood flow following umbilical arterial catheterization. Pediatrics. 1975 Feb;55(2):248–256. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Powers W. F., Swyer P. R. The peripheral hemodynamic effects of continuous positive transpulmonary pressure breathing in neonates free from cardiorespiratory disease. Pediatrics. 1975 Aug;56(2):203–207. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. WHITNEY R. J. The measurement of volume changes in human limbs. J Physiol. 1953 Jul;121(1):1–27. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1953.sp004926. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Archives of Disease in Childhood are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES