Characteristics of pregnancy as determinants of cardiac oscillator of a baby in the early neonatal period of life

Abstract

In order to assess the influence of course of pregnancy upon rate and rhythm of heartbeat of a baby in the early neonatal period of life, parameters of babies’ cardiac oscillators were described in terms of power spectral density function calculated for rows of 100-250 consecutive ECG RR-intervals registered during orthodox sleep. Correlation of heart rhythm characteristics, ECG patterns of a baby during first 5 days after delivery and parameters of pregnancy described both in terms of nosology and symptoms (122 parameters in total) were analyzed. 160 newborns were enrolled in the study. Drug abuse, impossi-bility to fill in the query form or informal consent, severe disease of baby, gestational age less than 28 weeks and/or body weight at birth less than 1500 grams were specified as major exclusion criteria. It was shown that preeclampsia during the first half of pregnancy and women’s illness, associated with body temperature higher than 38 degrees Celsius after 8 week of pregnancy are among major determinants of babies’ cardiac oscillator in the early neonatal period of life, but they don’t affect the ECG wave amplitude and the duration of PQ and QT intervals. Pregnancy complicated during the first half promotes bradycardia and high heart rate variability and pregnancy complicated during the second half promotes tachycardia and low heart rate variability in babies during at least 5 days after delivery. Hypothetical spatial models of pacemaker areas were proposed for cases of normal pregnancy, pregnancy complicated in the first half and pregnancy complicated in the second half.