Clinical significance of brain natriuretic peptide during pregnancy and early neonatal adaptation of newborns

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a well-known marker in cardiology used for the diagnosis, prognostic assessment, and treatment selection in patients with congestive heart failure. In obstetrics, BNP has been studied in pregnant women with gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, fetal distress, cardiovascular diseases, and gestational diabetes mellitus. Elevated BNP levels have been reported in the umbilical blood of newborns with intrauterine growth restriction. Recent studies indicate that BNP is also useful in assessing newborns condition and predicting neonatal adaptation. In children, BNP serves as an indicator of heart diseases and can be used to monitor treatment response. The diagnostic role of plasma BNP in newborns admitted to intensive care units has shown promise as an auxiliary marker in diagnosing congenital heart defects, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, patent ductus arteriosus, and persistent pulmonary hypertension, as well as in acute heart failure. Most studies evaluating cardiac dysfunction and myocardial injury in newborns rely on echocardiography; however, myocardial function can also be assessed using plasma biomarkers. BNP has proven to be an invaluable complement to echocardiography in evaluating ventricular function in infants and children.

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