Core Concepts: Intestinal Perfusion in the Perinatal Period

Abstract

The transitional physiology during the perinatal period facilitates adaptation from fetal to neonatal life and allows the gastrointestinal tract to assume essential postnatal functions. Intrinsic hemodynamic control in the developing intestines matures as a function of postnatal age. Immature vascular regulation in the newborn gastrointestinal tract is offset by an enhanced ability to extract oxygen from blood, and to some extent by increases in intestinal perfusion. Vasodilatation in the neonatal intestine is near maximal. Therefore, additional stressors particularly during the postprandial period increase the risk of mismatches in the oxygen supply to demand ratio, potentially predisposing intestinal tissue to hypoxia and ischemic injury.