title: Altered early left ventricular diastolic cardiac function in the premature infant.
abstract: Developmental changes in diastolic ventricular function were assessed in 31 premature infants and in 10 normal-term infants. They were studied during the first 72 hours of life using instantaneous rates of change of left ventricular (LV) cavity dimension, derived from M-mode echocardiography. Maximal velocity of lengthening of the LV cavity was significantly lower in premature infants (38 +/- 7 mm/s) than in term infants (88 +/- 15 mm/s). This variable increased with increasing maturity over the 4 gestational age groups evaluated (r = 0.87). This index normalized for instantaneous LV dimension was lower in the most immature infants (4.5 +/- 1 s-1) than in term infants (6.8 +/- 2 s-1). Eight of the premature infants were studied serially at 1, 3 and 7 days of age. Maximal velocity of lengthening divided by stroke dimension improved from 12.9 +/- 2 s-1 at 1 day of age to 16.5 +/- 3 s-1 at 7 days. These results suggest depressed early diastolic function in premature infants.
mesh_terms: D003971:Diastole; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000503:physiopathology; D013599:Systole; D013997:Time Factors