title: Vascular assessment of the right internal jugular vein in low birth weight newborns.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the dimensions and depth of the right internal jugular vein (RIJV) in low birth weight newborns by ultrasound and assess the differences in weight and determine the relationship of the vein with the carotid artery.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a vascular assessment of the RIJV in 100 low birth weight newborns. The subjects were divided into three groups, low birth weight (LBW) newborns, <2500 g; very low birth weight (VLBW) newborns, <1500 g; and extremely low birth weight (ELBW) newborns <1000 g.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the newborns, 39% had LBW, 33% had VLBW, and 28% had ELBW. The medians were gestational age 31 weeks, weight 1300 g, anteroposterior diameter of the RIJV 2.2 mm, and the distance from the skin-RIJV 3.6 mm. In LBW newborns, the median anteroposterior diameter of RIJV was 2.7 mm; in LBW newborns 2.2; in ELBW newborns 1.9 (p < 0.001); the median distance from skin to RIJV for LBW newborns was 4.1 mm; for VLBW newborns, 3.6 and for ELBW newborns 2.9 (p < 0.01); differences that were statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In low birth weight newborns, the diameter and depth of the RIJV is directly proportional to the weight of the subjects studied.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Pediatría, Hospital Universitario "Dr. José E. González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León , Monterrey , México .
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Montes-Tapia
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Taméz
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hernandez-Garduño
authors.forename: Itzel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Barreto-Arroyo
authors.forename: Isaías
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Balderrama
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de la O-Cavazos
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Quero
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D007601:Jugular Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D014463:Ultrasonography