The impact of preterm adversity on cardiorespiratory function

Abstract

Preterm birth is one of the leading causes of neonatal mortality. Babies that survive early‐life stress associated with immaturity have significant prevailing short‐ and long‐term morbidities. Oxygen dysregulation in the first few days and weeks after birth is a primary concern as the cardiorespiratory system slowly adjusts to extrauterine life. Infants exposed to rapid alterations in oxygen tension, including exposures to hypoxia and hyperoxia, have altered redox balance and active immune signalling, leading to altered stress responses that impinge on neurodevelopment and cardiorespiratory homeostasis. In this review, we explore the clinical challenges posed by preterm birth, followed by an examination of the literature on animal models of oxygen dysregulation and immune activation in the context of early‐life stress.