The development of the circadian heart rate rhythm (CHR) in Asian infants
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-2012
Department
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Abstract
Objective: To test the hypothesis that term-born Asian infants, at reduced risk to die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) exhibit a circadian heart rate rhythm (CHR) at a later age than non-Asian term infants. Method: Repeated overnight heart rate (HR) traces obtained with a battery-operated Polar S810i heart-rate monitor at home in 17 Asian Torajan infants in Indonesia, were compared with those of 52 non-Asian infants monitored as part of the Collaborative Home Infant Monitoring Evaluation (CHIME). HR was determined using a moving window averaging technique. A comparison of median HR during quiet sleep (QS) episodes (identified by minimum HR variability), established the presence of CHR. Results: Seventy three percent of non-Asian CHIME infants ≤ 7 weeks exhibited CHR compared to 45% of Asian Torajan infants. Between 8 and 12. weeks, 94% of non-Asian CHIME infants exhibited CHR, compared to 33% of Asian Torajan infants (p < 0.001). Forty seven and 56% of Asian Torajan infants exhibited the CHR at the age intervals of 16-20. weeks and 21-25. weeks respectively. Active wakefulness percentages as a function of the entire recording and median QS HR were not significantly different in the two groups. Conclusion: Despite the fact that Asian Torajan infants were on average a week older than non-Asian CHIME babies, between two and three months of age only one in three exhibited the CHR, compared to virtually all non-Asian CHIME infants. We speculate that the cause of this difference rests in the infants' environment rather than their genetic origin.
Publication Title
Early Human Development
Recommended Citation
Hoppenbrouwers, T.,
Oliveira, F.,
Sandarupa, S.,
Khoo, M.,
Neuman, M.,
&
Ramanathan, R.
(2012).
The development of the circadian heart rate rhythm (CHR) in Asian infants.
Early Human Development,
88(7), 555-561.
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2011.12.031
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p/6295