In preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), cardiac function is negatively influenced by the severity of the lung disease. On day 2 of life, cardiac troponin T (cTnT), biochemical marker of myocardial injury, was measured in 46 preterm infants (gestational age < or =32 wk), 26 with RDS and 20 without: median (range) 0.38 (0.02-1.57) microg/L vs 0.13 (0.02-0.85) microg/L, respectively.
Conclusion: High cTnT concentrations in preterm infants with RDS suggest the presence of myocardial damage in this group of high-risk patients.