**3.2 Effects of inflammation on the heart**

Inflammation in the fetal period, particularly in the case of preterm neonates, will act on an immature, developing heart.

The process of formation, development of cardiomyocytes continues until the time of birth.

#### *Preterm Birth and Inflammation DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.96970*

Currently, it is known that inflammation, cytokine release are correlated with the occurrence of pulmonary hypertension, which will have an effect on the right ventricle and will induce systolic and diastolic dysfunction. However, studies have demonstrated that maternal inflammation will have an effect on the fetal and subsequently neonatal heart. Hyperoxia induced by inflammation will affect left ventricular structure, causing systolic and diastolic dysfunction.

Extrauterine growth restriction is correlated with adaptation difficulties, limitations of physical activity in former extreme preterm infants. This limitation can be generated by a degree of heart failure in former extreme preterm neonates and by their insufficient growth due to inadequate energy intake [15].

In adults, cardiac dysfunction induced by massive cytokine release as part of an inflammatory process or associated with sepsis has been described [18].
