Definition of normal blood pressure range: The elusive target

The decision to provide circulatory support to newborn infants is predominantly based upon a reliance on blood pressure (BP) values, typically by targeting mean BP values, which serve as a surrogate of cardiovascular well-being. Despite significant advances in other areas of newborn care, very little has changed in our approach to this relatively unique phenomenon. This reliance on BP as a surrogate of cardiovascular well-being remains problematic on a number of levels. In this chapter we explore the problems with this approach and provide further insight into the complexities involved in newborn cardiovascular assessment at the bedside.