Neonatal magnetocardiography.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to test the validity of magnetocardiography (MCG) in the estimation of neonatal cardiac rhythm using a single channel superconductive quantum interference device (SQUID).


METHODS
Our study population consisted of 50 neonates who were delivered normally between 37-41 weeks of gestation from clinically uncomplicated pregnancies. There was also a neonate included in the study in which the diagnosis of "hypoplastic left heart syndrome" was demonstrated by U/S Doppler examination. Maternal age ranged from 18 to 39 years (mean=29.15, SD=6.13).


RESULTS
Our study results revealed 44 neonates with normal cardiac rhythm, four with ventricular tachycardia (VT), one with ventricular tachycardia (VT) and extrasystolic beats and one with bradycardia. The neonate with the hypoplastic left heart syndrome presented frequent episodes of ventricular bigeminy in the magnetocardiographic trace. M-mode echocardiography confirmed the diagnosis of the seven cases of arrhythmia in our study group.


CONCLUSIONS
Results gained from the study lead us to believe that MCG could provide clinical practice with a non-invasive, rapid and easy to perform method, which could be used as an adjunct to conventional methods for the evaluation of neonatal cardiac rhythm.
Anastasiadis
P G
PG
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
Anninos
P
P
Kotini
A
A
Koutlaki
N
N
Garas
A
A
Galazios
G
G
D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015148:Cardiotocography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008280:Magnetics; D014463:Ultrasonography