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Objective: Low birth weight is associated with cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Hemodynamic adaptations related to fetal growth restriction may underlie these associations, through persistent influences on cardiovascular development. We examined the associations of third trimester fetal hemodynamics with cardiovascular outcomes in childhood., Methods: In a prospective cohort study among 917 pregnant women and their children, we measured fetal growth, and fetal arterial and cardiac hemodynamic variables with ultrasound and Doppler examinations at a gestational age of 30.3 (95% range 28.8-32.3) weeks. At the age of 6 years, we measured blood pressure, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, and left cardiac structures and function., Results: We observed that fetal hemodynamics were not associated with childhood blood pressure and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity. The fetal aorta ascendens diameter and left cardiac output were positively associated with childhood aortic root diameter [0.14 standard deviation score (SDS), 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.07-0.22 and 0.08 SDS, 95% CI 0.01-0.15 per SDS change in diameter and output, respectively]. Fetal left ventricular diastolic filling pattern was inversely associated with aortic root diameter (-0.07 SDS, 95% CI -0.13 to 0.00 per SDS change in E/A ratio) at 6 years. Analyses adjusted and stratified for estimated fetal weight showed no differences in results., Conclusion: Our results suggest that third trimester fetal vascular resistance parameters do not affect blood pressure or arterial stiffness in childhood. Fetal cardiac functional and structural measures are associated with cardiac outcomes in childhood. Whether these early adaptations lead to greater risks of cardiovascular disease should be further studied.

Cardiac structural adaptations in response to physical growth and obesity in older children have been identified and might have long-term consequences. We examined the associations of growth and obesity with cardiac structures during the first 2 years of life. In a population-based prospective cohort study among 974 children, left atrial diameter, left ventricular diastolic diameter, left ventricular mass, aortic root diameter, and fractional shortening were repeatedly measured by ultrasound at the ages of 1.5, 6, and 24 months. Height, weight, and subcutaneous fat mass were measured at the same visits, and blood pressure was measured at the age of 24 months. Height, weight, body mass index, and body surface area were positively associated with all of the cardiac structures during the first 2 years of life. At the age of 24 months, as compared with normal weight children, obese children had a greater left ventricular mass (1.04 SD score [95% CI: 0.20 to 1.89]) and a higher fractional shortening (0.91 SD score [95% CI: 0.02 to 1.80]). Nonsignificant tendencies were found for left atrial diameter, left ventricular diastolic diameter, and aortic root diameter. Our results suggest that normal variation in growth affects cardiac structures in early life. Overweight and obese children show cardiac adaptations already at the age of 2 years. Further studies are needed to assess whether these structural adaptations influence the risk of cardiovascular disease in later life.