Pulmonary Vascular Disease and Cardiac Performance in Extreme Preterm Infants

Pulmonary Vascular Disease and Cardiac Performance in Extreme Preterm Infants: A Prospective Cross-sectional Study

Pulmonary vascular disease and cardiac performance in extreme preterm infants: A prospective cross-sectional study

The principal investigator hypothesize that premature newborns have disturbed cardiac performance and increased pulmonary pressures during neonatal life and at different pediatric ages.

The principal investigator also hypothesize that premature newborns with poor cardiac performance and/or pulmonary hypertension have higher morbidities and poorer neuro-developmental outcomes.

The principal investigator also hypothesize that premature newborns with poor cardiac performance and/or pulmonary hypertension have higher morbidities and poorer neuro-developmental outcomes and that novel echocardiography techniques will detect anomalies not uncovered by conventional imaging, and that early echocardiography may identify those with later pulmonary hypertension.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Infants born at <29 weeks' gestational age admitted to the NICU
• All infants born at <29 weeks' gestational age followed at MCH clinic after an admission in the NICU for prematurity <29 weeks

Exclusion Criteria:

• Congenital heart disease (except an atrial (ASD) or ventricular septal defect (VSD), or a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA))
• Congenital severe lung or airway malformation (choanal atresia, trachea-esophageal fistula or congenital pulmonary airway malformation)
• Genetic disorder (Trisomy 21).