TY - JOUR
T1 - Pregnancy at high altitude in the Andes leads to increased total vessel density in healthy newborns
AU - Gassmann, Norina N.
AU - Van Elteren, Hugo A.
AU - Goos, Tom G.
AU - Morales, Claudia R.
AU - Rivera-Ch, Maria
AU - Martin, Daniel S.
AU - Peralta, Patricia Cabala
AU - Del Carpio, Agustin Passano
AU - MacHaca, Saul Aranibar
AU - Huicho, Luis
AU - Reiss, Irwin K.M.
AU - Gassmann, Max
AU - De Jonge, Rogier C.J.
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - The developing human fetus is able to cope with the physiological reduction in oxygen supply occurring in utero. However, it is not known if microvascularization of the fetus is augmented when pregnancy occurs at high altitude. Fifty-three healthy term newborns in Puno, Peru (3,840 m) were compared with sea-level controls. Pre-and postductal arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) was determined. Cerebral and calf muscle regional tissue oxygenation was measured using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Skin microcirculation was noninvasively measured using incident dark field imaging. Pre-and postductal SpO2 in Peruvian babies was 88.1 and 88.4%, respectively, which was 10.4 and 9.7% lower than in newborns at sea level (P=0.001). Cerebral and regional oxygen saturation was significantly lower in the Peruvian newborns (cerebral: 71.0 vs. 74.9%; regional: 68.5 vs. 76.0%, P=0.001). Transcutaneously measured total vessel density in the Peruvian newborns was 14% higher than that in the newborns born at sea level (29.7 vs. 26.0 mm/mm2; P=0.001). This study demonstrates that microvascular vessel density in neonates born to mothers living at high altitude is higher than that in neonates born at sea level.
AB - The developing human fetus is able to cope with the physiological reduction in oxygen supply occurring in utero. However, it is not known if microvascularization of the fetus is augmented when pregnancy occurs at high altitude. Fifty-three healthy term newborns in Puno, Peru (3,840 m) were compared with sea-level controls. Pre-and postductal arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) was determined. Cerebral and calf muscle regional tissue oxygenation was measured using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Skin microcirculation was noninvasively measured using incident dark field imaging. Pre-and postductal SpO2 in Peruvian babies was 88.1 and 88.4%, respectively, which was 10.4 and 9.7% lower than in newborns at sea level (P=0.001). Cerebral and regional oxygen saturation was significantly lower in the Peruvian newborns (cerebral: 71.0 vs. 74.9%; regional: 68.5 vs. 76.0%, P=0.001). Transcutaneously measured total vessel density in the Peruvian newborns was 14% higher than that in the newborns born at sea level (29.7 vs. 26.0 mm/mm2; P=0.001). This study demonstrates that microvascular vessel density in neonates born to mothers living at high altitude is higher than that in neonates born at sea level.
KW - Hypoxia
KW - Incident dark field imaging
KW - Microcirculation
KW - Near infrared spectroscopy
KW - Neonates
KW - Oxygen profiling
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84988905830&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1152/japplphysiol.00561.2016
DO - 10.1152/japplphysiol.00561.2016
M3 - Article
SN - 8750-7587
VL - 121
SP - 709
EP - 715
JO - Journal of Applied Physiology
JF - Journal of Applied Physiology
IS - 3
ER -