The primary study on cardiac troponin T in normal, IUGR, and preterm neonates

Introduction: The study hypothesis was that serum analysis of high-sensitivity troponin T in newborns could be a diagnostic tool to predict the health risks caused by intrauterine growth restriction and preterm birth. Material and methods: A total of n = 107 newborns were stratified into three groups: 52 healthy (26 male and 26 female), that is, newborns with body weight ≥ 10th percentile, born in good condition [Apgar score (APG) 8–10 pts] of pregnancy not complicated by diabetes, 21 (10 male and 11 female) with intrauterine growth restriction, that is, weight < 10th centile in centile grids for sex and gestational age of the newborn, and 34 (19 male and 15 female) preterm infants, that is, children born between 22 and 36 weeks from gestation counted from the first day of the last menstrual period. The lowest minimum troponin levels of 0.004 ng/mL defined the preterm group. Results: The healthy group was defined by the highest maximal troponin levels (0.895 ng/mL), while the intrauterine growth restriction group had the lowest maximal troponin level of 0.539 ng/mL. A significant difference was observed between the IUGR and premature groups, p = 0.00413. Conclusions: cTnT levels between IUGR and preterm newborns reflect developmental differences between these two groups that can influence future child development.