Maternal antihypertensive drugs may influence cerebral oxygen extraction in preterm infants during the first days after birth

Objective: To determine whether maternal antihypertensive drugs influenced cerebral oxygenation in preterm infants during the first days after birth. Methods: We included 49 preterm infants (median gestational age 30.3 weeks, (range 26.0-31.9), birth weight 1250 g (560-2250)). Regional cerebral oxygen saturation (r(c)SO(2)) was measured by near-infrared spectroscopy on postnatal days 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Fractional tissue oxygen extraction (FTOE) was calculated using r(c)SO(2) and arterial oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) values:(SpO(2) - rcSO(2))/SpO(2). Results: Nine mothers were treated with labetalol and/or MgSO4 during pregnancy, three mothers with labetalol, MgSO4 and nifedipine, and 19 mothers with nifedipine only. Eighteen infants served as controls. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that exposure to labetalol and/or MgSO4 during pregnancy decreased FTOE on day 1 after birth, while nifedipine did not. Conclusions: Treating pregnant women with labetalol and/or MgSO4 may influence cerebral oxygen extraction in their offspring shortly after birth.