{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,6]],"date-time":"2026-04-06T23:09:49Z","timestamp":1775516989547,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,27]],"date-time":"2023-06-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1687824000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Life"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Neonatal apnoea can be treated with caffeine, which affects the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. Heart rate variability (HRV) reflects the activity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and might be used as a measure of ANS maturation in newborns. We aimed to establish the effect of caffeine on HRV in newborns and investigated the potential correlation between HRV and postmenstrual age (PMA). In 25 haemodynamically stable newborns hospitalized due to apnoea and treated with caffeine (2.5 mg\/kg), we assessed breathing frequency, arterial oxygen saturation, body temperature, and the heart rate while they were sleeping. We assessed HRV by spectral analysis using fast Fourier transformation. The same protocol was reapplied 100 h after caffeine withdrawal to assess the control parameters. Caffeine increased breathing frequency (p = 0.023) but did not affect any other parameter assessed including HRV. We established a positive correlation between postmenstrual age and HRV during treatment with caffeine as well as after caffeine had been withdrawn (total power: p = 0.044; low-frequency band: p = 0.039). Apparently, the maintenance dose of caffeine is too low to affect the heart rate and HRV. A positive correlation between PMA and HRV might reflect maturation of the ANS, irrespective of caffeine treatment.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/life13071459","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,28]],"date-time":"2023-06-28T00:25:21Z","timestamp":1687911921000},"page":"1459","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["The Effect of Caffeine on Heart Rate Variability in Newborns: A Pilot Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2032-725X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Helena","family":"Lenasi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Physiology, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Zalo\u0161ka cesta 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Eva","family":"Rihar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Children\u2019s Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zalo\u0161ka cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jerneja","family":"Filipi\u010d","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Children\u2019s Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zalo\u0161ka cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Matja\u017e","family":"Klemenc","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiology, General Hospital Dr. Franc Derganc, Ulica Padlih Borcev 13A, 5290 \u0160empeter pri Gorici, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Petja","family":"Fister","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Children\u2019s Hospital, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Bohori\u010deva ulica 20, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"620","DOI":"10.1038\/jp.2014.60","article-title":"The Effects of Caffeine on Heart Rate Variability in Newborns with Apnea of Prematurity","volume":"34","author":"Ulanovsky","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. 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