Risk factors for cardiovascular events in newborns

Abstract

Today some chronic, disabling pathological conditions in adults including cardiovascular diseases appear to be originated in the peri- and neonatal periods. Present study involved a questionnaire survey of 105 mothers in order to identify the most important environmental, heredity, maternal health factors and to study their impact on the development of cardiovascular system of the newborn. The questionnaire included 30 questions grouped into 5 main domains: 1) Family and genetic data on cardiac pathology, 2) the state of health of a pregnant woman, 3) environmental risk factors for congenital heart disease, 4) the nature of the course of pregnancy, 5) infectious risk factors. Totally 112 newborns of gestational age 37.2±2.5 weeks were examined for objective examination, who revealed symptoms indirectly indicating changes of the cardiovascular system (systolic murmur in auscultation, cardiac arrhythmia, perioral cyanosis), as well as children who were born with intrauterine growth retardation and “late premature”. The research showed that 84.8% (p≤0.05) of newborns were healthy and 15.2% had morphofunctional abnormalities of the cardiovascular system (delayed closure of the ductus arteriosus, patent foramen ovale, violation of the diastolic function of the heart ventricles, small anomalies of the heart development). Parental age over 30 years, severe somatic diseases in mothers and family history of cardiovascular diseases were found to be the most significant risk factors for cardiac diseases in infants. Prevention of preterm labor and diseases in infants requires measures to increase women’s motivation to take proper care of their own health.