title: Normal right and left ventricular mass development during early infancy.
abstract: The average newborn's right ventricular mass, indexed to body surface area, is approximately 20% above the adult level, consistent with in utero physiologic hypertrophy. In contrast, the left ventricular mass index is underdeveloped by about 30% at birth, resulting in a ratio of right to left ventricular mass that is nearly 75% higher than at maturity. Left ventricular mass index increases rapidly during the first 2 weeks of life and then more slowly thereafter, whereas the right ventricular mass index decreases steadily during the first 4 months of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, UCLA School of Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA. jjoyce1@tulane.edu
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Joyce
authors.forename: Patricia I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Dickson
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Julie E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Noble
authors.forename: J Usha
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Raj
authors.forename: Barry G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Baylen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004452:Echocardiography; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values