Impact of thermal vasomotor control on the heart rate variability of newborn infants

The reactivity of the periodic heart rate variability (HRV) to the thermal vasomotor control was studied during quiet sleep in a total of 20 neonates which were classified in 5 groups according to their maturity. Thermal stimulation on the peripheral skin was applied by an air blower at the rates of 5, 2.5 and 1.5 cycles/min. The oscillation of successive R-R intervals of the ECG was determined by a hybrid computer technique during thermal stimulations and compared to spontaneous HRV activity. The indices of the HRV and the total power of the periodic HRV remained unchanged during thermal stimulations. The response of the periodic HRV was selective at the spectral band corresponding to the frequency of stimulation. It was maximal at 5 cycles/min. The relative response was highly significant (P < 0.001) and it increased with increasing maturity. The state of SGA (small for gestational age) seemed to decrease the vasomotor response of the HRV. The results suggested that the thermal vasomotor control was functional already in small preterm infants and it tended to increase with increasing maturity as does the autonomic cardiac control in general.