Premature babies found to have smaller hearts in adulthood

Young adults who as babies were born prematurely have smaller hearts with thicker walls than those who were born after full-length pregnancies, an Oxford University study has found. The extent of the differences were unexpected and surprised the researchers. They are part of an emerging picture of changes in the heart, blood vessels and blood pressure of adults born after pregnancies complicated by problems such as preterm birth and pre-eclampsia. 'We have been surprised by how unique the structure of the heart is in young adults that were born prematurely,' said Professor Paul Leeson of Oxford University, who led the group of researchers. 'They have smaller hearts, thicker walls and pump a smaller volume of blood on average than young adults who were born after a full-length pregnancy. The implications for future health or risk of heart disease are unknown, but the differences may help explain other recent findings in adults born preterm. For example, they tend to have higher blood pressure - something that was also observed in the participants in this study - and get tired more easily when exercising.