Skip to main content

Advertising Disclaimer »

Main menu

  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • AAP Policy
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • Policy
  • Pediatric Collections
    • COVID-19
    • Racism and Its Effect on Pediatric Health
    • More Collections...
  • Multimedia
    • Video Abstracts
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • Alerts
    • Table of Contents
    • Insights
  • AAP Career Center
  • Subscribe
  • Other Publications
    • American Academy of Pediatrics

User menu

  • Log in

Search

  • Advanced search
American Academy of Pediatrics

AAP Gateway

Advanced Search

AAP Logo

  • Log in
  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • AAP Policy
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • Policy
  • Pediatric Collections
    • COVID-19
    • Racism and Its Effect on Pediatric Health
    • More Collections...
  • Multimedia
    • Video Abstracts
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • Alerts
    • Table of Contents
    • Insights
  • AAP Career Center
  • Subscribe

Journals Blog

  • Visit AAP News on Facebook
  • Follow AAP News on Twitter

How Premature Birth Shapes Future Heart Health

Meredith S. Campbell, MD, Editorial Fellow, Pediatrics, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellow, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
July 07, 2020

Advancements in neonatal care have led to a growing cohort of preterm-born individuals that have now reached adulthood. While population-based birth cohorts have provided us with a better understanding of long-term complications of premature birth such as risk for neurodevelopmental impairment, much less is known about potential cardiac consequences.

In a newly released review article in Pediatrics(10.1542/peds.2020-0146), Dr. Fernando Telles and colleagues present the first meta-analysis to compare cardiac structure and function between former preterm and term infants from the time of birth to young adulthood. A total of 32 observational studies were included in the review to quantify the impact of preterm birth on the heart across developmental stages. The results were intriguing—former preterm individuals have persistently lower left ventricular diastolic function, right ventricular systolic impairment, and an accelerated rate of left ventricular hypertrophy. The authors proposed that these cardiac alterations may make the heart more vulnerable to secondary insults, which may explain why preterm birth is a risk factor for early heart failure and long-term risk of ischemic heart disease.

As we dig deeper into what’s different about the hearts of those born preterm, further longitudinal studies are needed to determine how cardiac remodeling in preterm infants progresses over time. This is particularly important in the adolescent age range, for which there is a paucity of data. While this article adds to our understanding of how premature birth shapes future heart health, a number of questions and research gaps regarding the long-term cardiac outcomes after preterm birth remain including the need for earlier detection of former preterm individuals at higher risk for cardiac issues, screening guidelines, preventative strategies, and a plan for better clinical monitoring. Additional research will hopefully allow us to get to the heart of the matter.

  • Not Crying After Birth as a Predictor of Not Breathing
  • Autism and Congenital Heart Disease: Evidence and Unresolved Questions
  • 2019 American Heart Association Focused Update on Neonatal Resuscitation: An Update to the American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
Copyright © 2020 American Academy of Pediatrics

Advertising Disclaimer »

Download PDF
Share
How Premature Birth Shapes Future Heart Health
Meredith S. Campbell, MD
July 07, 2020
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
Email Blog Post

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Academy of Pediatrics.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
How Premature Birth Shapes Future Heart Health
(Your Name) has sent you a message from American Academy of Pediatrics
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Academy of Pediatrics web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One
  • Digital Edition Current Issue
  • Latest Daily News
  • Archives
  • Collections
  • Columns
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe to AAP News Magazine
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement
  • FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • 2021 AAP Journals Catalog
  • Pediatrics
  • Pediatrics in Review
  • Hospital Pediatrics
  • NeoReviews
  • AAP Grand Rounds
  • AAP Career Center
  • shopAAP
  • AAP.org
  • AAP News
  • Visit AAP News on Facebook
  • Follow AAP News on Twitter
American Academy of Pediatrics

© 2021 American Academy of Pediatrics