Abstract
BackgroundPremature infants may present with damage to the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which may be related to poorer neurological development. Among the techniques used to evaluate the ANS, heart rate variability (HRV) emerged as a simple, non-invasive, and easy to apply tool. The aim of the present study was to analyze and compare HRV in preterm infants at different times of hospitalization in order to verify the possible environmental relationships or clinical evolution with HRV.MethodsA longitudinal, prospective, and descriptive study with non-probabilistic sampling composed of 25 collections of preterm infants of HRV at two moments: moment I (within 15 days of birth) and moment II (after 45 days post-birth). The Polar V800 heart rate monitor was used with the Polar H10 cardiac transducer to collect HRV, which was collected in the supine position for 15 min. The HRV data were analyzed by the linear method in frequency domain and time domain and by the nonlinear method using Kubios HRV analysis software, version 3.0.2.ResultsThere was an increase in HRV values at moment II, these being statistically significant in the SD1, ApEn, and SampEn. Data related to increased sympathetic nervous system activity, parasympathetic nervous system activity, and increased index complexity.ConclusionsThe data demonstrate an increase in HRV values in premature infants at moment II, demonstrating a possible development in the maturation of the ANS during hospitalization. Trial registration: RBR-3x7gz8 retrospectively registered.
Highlights
Premature infants may present with damage to the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which may be related to poorer neurological development
This study was derived from the Cardiac Autonomic Modulation, Anxiety and Depression in Mothers of Preterms Submitted to Music Therapy Intervention: Randomized Controlled Trial, registered in the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials
Sample A non-probabilistic sample comprised of preterm infants (30.52 ± 2.86 weeks) at a mean birth weight of 1.52 ± 0.65 kg at admission to the Hospital e Maternidade Dona Íris was evaluated for eligibility to participate in the study
Summary
Premature infants may present with damage to the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which may be related to poorer neurological development. Preterm birth is unpredictable and affects all social classes. It occurs at a higher rate in poorer mothers, generating social and financial costs that are difficult to measure, and it is one of the main determinants of the risk of dying in the neonatal period [1,2,3]. Premature infants may have impairments in the autonomic nervous system (ANS). This system plays an important role in the regulation of the physiological processes of the organism, both in normal and pathological conditions, through the balancing action of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Changes in the ANS may suggest less neurological development [5, 6]
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