Surviving birth at high altitude.
Alexandra Heath-FreudenthalAlejandra EstradaInge von AlvenslebenColleen Glyde JulianPublished in: The Journal of physiology (2024)
This Symposium Review examines challenges to surviving birth and infancy at high altitudes. Chronic exposure to the environmental hypoxia of high altitudes increases the incidence of maternal vascular disorders of pregnancy characterized by placental insufficiency, restricted fetal growth and preterm delivery, and impairs pulmonary vascular health during infancy. While each condition independently contributes to excess morbidity and mortality in early life, evidence indicates vascular disorders of pregnancy and infantile pulmonary vascular dysfunction are intertwined. By integrating our recent scientific and clinical observations in Bolivia with existing literature, we propose potential avenues to reduce the infant mortality burden at high altitudes and reduce pulmonary vascular disease in highland neonates, and emphasize the need for further research to address unresolved questions.
Keyphrases
- pulmonary hypertension
- early life
- pregnancy outcomes
- preterm birth
- gestational age
- risk factors
- healthcare
- systematic review
- public health
- type diabetes
- human health
- mental health
- low birth weight
- oxidative stress
- risk assessment
- preterm infants
- physical activity
- coronary artery disease
- birth weight
- drug induced
- body mass index