title: Myocardial function in offspring 5-8years after pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preeclampsia and diabetic pregnancies share pathophysiological features suggested to influence epigenetic changes during foetal life with importance for later development and metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our objective was to study the myocardium in offspring after pregnancy complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five children (age 5-8 years) delivered from pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia (n = 25), diabetes mellitus type 1 (n = 8) or gestational diabetes mellitus (n = 12) were included. Fifteen children from uneventful pregnancies served as controls. Myocardial functions of right and left ventricle were examined by conventional Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No major differences were found in the myocardial function between offspring of pregnancy complications and control group. However, the preeclampsia group had smaller hearts, increased heart rate and increased late diastolic velocity (A'-wave) at mitral valve attachments shown by both pulsed wave and colour TDI compared to the control and diabetic groups together (p ≤ 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children born after preeclampsia may show effects of a negative impact on the heart already at the age of 5 to 8 years. The numbers of examined children were, however, limited.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatal Intensive Care, Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål, Oslo, Norway. drudefugelseth@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Drude
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fugelseth
authors.forename: Heidi Bente
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Ramstad
authors.forename: Anne Stine
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kvehaugen
authors.forename: Eirik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nestaas
authors.forename: Asbjørn
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Støylen
authors.forename: Anne Cathrine
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Staff
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications*; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational; D005260:Female; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006801:Humans; D009206:Myocardium; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D018617:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Pulsed; D018754:Ventricular Dysfunction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging