Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine changes in arterial blood pressure (ABP) after birth in extremely preterm infants.
STUDY DESIGN: Prospective observational study of infants 23(0/7) to 26(6/7) weeks gestational age (GA). Antihypotensive therapy use and ABP measurements were recorded for the first 24 h.
RESULT: A cohort of 367 infants had 18 709 ABP measurements recorded. ABP decreased for the first 3 h, reached a nadir at 4 to 5 h and then increased at an average rate of 0.2mmHg h(-1). The rise in ABP from hour 4 to 24 was similar for untreated infants (n = 164) and infants given any antihypotensive therapy (n = 203), a fluid bolus (n = 135) or dopamine (n = 92). GA-specific trends were similar. ABP tended to be lower as GA decreased, but varied widely at each GA.
CONCLUSION: ABP increased spontaneously over the first 24 postnatal hours for extremely preterm infants. The rate of rise in ABP did not change with antihypotensive therapy.