Blood pressure normative values in preterm infants during postnatal transition

BACKGROUND: The normative blood pressure values in preterm infants still not well defined during postnatal transition. We aimed to create normative blood pressure (BP) reference values in preterm infants <29 weeks gestational age recorded hourly during the postnatal transition.METHODS: We included only data from hemodynamically stable newborns. Only BP values measured by umbilical arterial catheter (UAC) were included. The regression model showed that only gestational age and postnatal age in hours determine the BP.RESULTS: We included 206 out of 547 admitted preterm infants. The BP increases with increasing gestational ages and overtime during the postnatal transition. We constructed 5 BP centile values for each gestational group. BP histograms show that the BP most of the time fluctuated between the 5th and 75th centile values, particularity during day one of life.CONCLUSIONS: The BP trend values gradually increase in stable preterm infants during the postnatal transition, and preterm infants who do not follow this trend might require hemodynamics assessment.

Automated summary

This study aimed to establish normative blood pressure reference values in preterm infants <29 weeks gestational age recorded hourly during the postnatal transition. The study found that blood pressure values increased with increasing gestational ages and overtime during the postnatal transition. For stable preterm infants, blood pressure values fluctuated between the 5th and 75th centile values. Preterm infants who did not follow this trend might require hemodynamics assessment.