title: Non-invasive assessment of arterial stiffness in appropriate-for-gestational age newborn infants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quantitative information about the elastic properties of the large arteries can be obtained by determination of the pressure and the pulsatile changes of arterial diameter.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the stiffness of major branches (common carotid artery; CCA, abdominal aorta; AA and femoral artery; FA) in newborn infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  The arterial stiffness index (SI) values were measured with a phase locked loop ultrasound technique to estimate the arterial systolic and diastolic diameters and their correlation with blood pressure.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 62 appropriate-for-gestational age infants (between 30 and 41 weeks of gestation at birth) including 33 preterm infants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The systolic and diastolic diameters of the CCA, AA and FA, as well as the SI, increased with the gestational age at birth. In the SI of the FA, there was considerable variation in the individual values for a given gestational age at birth. The gestational age associated increase in stiffness was statistically significant only in the CCA and the AA. Although the mechanical properties of the FA were significantly influenced by physical activities during the active waking and quiet sleeping states, the calculated SI values were less vulnerable to these activities in the central arteries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that the SI of the FA (peripheral muscular artery) is modified appreciably by vasoactive stimuli. The mechanical properties of the deeper elastic arteries in newborn infants provide sufficiently reliable information about changes caused by development.
authors: Maternal & Perinatal Centore, Tokai University School of Medicine, Boseidai, Isehara-city, Kanagawa, 259-1193, Japan.
authors: Togo
authors: T
authors: Atsuko
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Mori
authors: Akane
authors: A
authors: Kondo
authors: Noa
authors: N
authors: Uchida
authors: Yoko
authors: Y
authors: Ishiguro
authors: Mitsuzuka
authors: M
authors: Kanako
authors: Mikami
authors: M
authors: Mikio
mesh_terms: D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D001724:Birth Weight; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D004548:Elasticity; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology