title: Aorta structural alterations in term neonates: the role of birth and maternal characteristics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the influence of selected maternal and neonatal characteristics on aorta walls in term, appropriately grown-for-gestational age newborns.
  
  
  METHODS
  Age, parity, previous abortions, weight, height, body mass index before and after delivery, smoking, and history of hypertension, of diabetes, of cardiovascular diseases, and of dyslipidemia were all assessed in seventy mothers. They delivered 34 males and 36 females healthy term newborns who underwent ultrasound evaluation of the anteroposterior infrarenal abdominal aorta diameter (APAO), biochemical profile (glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, fibrinogen, and D-dimers homeostasis model assessment [HOMAIR]index), and biometric parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  APAO was related to newborn length (r = +0.36; P = 0.001), head circumference (r = +0.37; P = 0.001), gestational age (r = +0.40, P = 0.0005), HOMA index (r = +0.24; P = 0.04), and D-dimers (r = +0.33, P = 0.004). Smoke influenced APAO values (odds ratio: 1.80; confidence interval 95%: 1.05-3.30), as well as diabetes during pregnancy (r = +0.42, P = 0.0002). Maternal height influenced neonatal APAO (r = +0.47, P = 0.00003). Multiple regression analysis outlined neonatal D-dimers as still significantly related to neonatal APAO values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many maternal and neonatal characteristics could influence aorta structures. Neonatal D-dimers are independently related to APAO.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Disease Section, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, University of Bari, Piazza G Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy. marcomatteo.ciccone@uniba.it
authors.forename: Marco Matteo
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ciccone
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scicchitano
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salerno
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gesualdo
authors.forename: Fara
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fornarelli
authors.forename: Annapaola
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zito
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Filippucci
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riccardi
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cortese
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pini
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Angrisani
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Mauro
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schettini
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Laforgia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D047929:Term Birth
chemical_list: D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D