Spectral characterization of neonatal arterial blood pressure during orthostatic stress

The goal of this research is to characterize the normal development of the neonatal cardiovascular system in the first days of life and to define methods which recognize altered pathophysiologic development. The purpose of this preliminary study was to evaluate the cardiovascular response of neonates using an orthostatic stress technique. Five neonatal subjects underwent two trials of a randomized tilting protocol in which the bed was gently tilted to either 10/spl deg/ or 25/spl deg/. The preliminary results of this study indicate that positive pressure ventilation influences the low frequency (/spl Lt/1 Hz) spectral components of arterial pressure and suggests a 25/spl deg/ tilt induces an elevation in spectral power in this range.