Blood pressure changes during the first 24 hours of life and the association with the persistence of a patent ductus arteriosus and occurrence of intraventricular haemorrhage

Very low birthweight (VLBW) infants are at risk of intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) and delayed closure of ductus arteriosus. We investigated mean arterially recorded blood pressure (MAP) changes during the first day of life in VLBW infants as potential risk factors for a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and IVH. This retrospective cohort study exploring MAP changes during adaption and risk factors for a PDA and IVH comprised 844 VLBW infants admitted to the Helsinki University Children’s Hospital during 2005–2013. For each infant, we investigated 600 time-points of MAP recorded 4–24 hours after birth. Based on blood pressure patterns revealed by a data-driven method, we divided the infants into two groups. Group 1 (n = 327, mean birthweight = 1019 g, mean gestational age = 28 + (1/7) weeks) consisted of infants whose mean MAP was lower at 18–24 hours than at 4–10 hours after birth. Group 2 (n = 517, mean birthweight = 1070 g, mean gestational age = 28 + (5/7) weeks) included infants with a higher mean MAP at 18–24 hours than at 4–10 hours after birth. We used the group assignments, MAP, gestational age at birth, relative size for gestational age, surfactant administration, inotrope usage, invasive ventilation, presence of respiratory distress syndrome or sepsis, fluid intake, and administration of antenatal steroids to predict the occurrence of IVH and use of pharmacological or surgical therapy for a PDA before 42 weeks of gestational age. Infants whose mean MAP is lower at 18–24 hours than at 4–10 hours after birth are more likely to undergo surgical ligation of a PDA (odds ratio = 2.1; CI 1.14–3.89; p = 0.018) and to suffer from IVH (odds ratio = 1.83; CI 1.23–2.72; p = 0.003).