How much and for how long does the neonatal myocardium suffer from mild perinatal asphyxia?

Abstract

Cardiac troponins can be useful in monitoring cardiac injury following perinatal distress. We report here an increase of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) to 2.84 μg/l at 3 weeks (age-related median: 0.07 μg/l) followed by normalization in a newborn with an uneventful clinical course after resuscitation at birth. Serial echocardiographs showed normal cardiac function. Such a time course of cTnI, not previously reported, could be due to either a greater sensitivity of biochemical markers than of instrumental tools or birth asphyxia. Larger studies are needed.

• Perinatal asphyxia
• transient myocardial ischemia of the newborn
• cardiac troponins