Oxidative stress in newborns of hypertensive mothers: relationship with neonatal prognosis in the short term

Abstract

Pre-eclampsia is the major cause of maternal, fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. In pre-eclampsia, an increase in generation of free radicals and a failure in the mother's organism's antioxidant system occur, thus leading to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of various neonatal diseases, such as respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leucomalacia, necrotizing enterocolitis and retinopathy of prematurity. Nevertheless, the pre-eclampsia / oxidative stress / neonatal diseases' relationship has not been completely understood. Objective: To evaluate the role of oxidative stress in neonatal morbidity and the short-term prognosis of preterm infants of mothers with pre-eclampsia. Method: Thirty preterm infants born to pre-eclamptic mothers, and 30 preterm infants born to normotensive mothers, at the Maternity Hospital of the Botucatu School of Medicine - UNESP will be studied. Malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels will be determined as oxidative-stress markers; and glutathione and glutathione peroxidase will be measured as anti-oxidant defense markers. The dosages will be performed at 4 moments: birth, 1, 3 and 7 days of life, and the newborns will be evaluated as regards the presence of: acute respiratory diseases, bronchopulmonary displasia, persistent ductus arteriosus, intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leucomalacia, necrotizing enterocolitis, retinopathy of prematurity and death in the neonatal period. (AU)