title: Study of global left atrial shortening in fetuses of diabetic mothers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that left atrial shortening fraction is lower in fetuses of diabetic mothers than in fetuses of mothers with no systemic disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two fetuses of mothers with previous diabetes or gestational diabetes and 39 healthy fetuses of mothers with no systemic disease (controls) underwent echocardiographic examination. Their gestational ages ranged from 25 weeks to term. The left atrial shortening fraction was obtained with the following formula: (left atrial maximum diameter - left atrial minimum diameter)/left atrial maximum diameter. Data were compared using the Student t test, with an alpha level of 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean left atrial shortening fractions in fetuses of diabetic mothers and in those in the control group were 0.39 +/- 0.15 and 0.51 +/- 0.11, respectively. This difference was significant with P < 0.001.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Left atrial dynamics, with a reduction in global left atrial shortening, is increased in fetuses of diabetic mothers. We speculate that this parameter may be useful in assessing fetal left ventricular diastolic function.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Cardiologia do RS, Fundação Universitária de Cardiologia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. zielinsky.pesquisa@cardiologia.org.br
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zielinsky
authors.forename: Fabíola
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Satler
authors.forename: Stelamaris
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Luchese
authors.forename: Luiz Henrique
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Nicoloso
authors.forename: Antonio L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Piccoli
authors.forename: Eduardo I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Gus
authors.forename: João Luiz
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Manica
authors.forename: Marlui
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scheid
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marcantonio
authors.forename: Domingos
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hatem
mesh_terms: D016640:Diabetes, Gestational; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*