title: Does low birth weight affect P-wave and QT dispersion in childhood?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of our study is to investigate the effects of low birth weight (LBW) on atrial conduction and ventricular repolarization in children by using P-wave dispersion (Pw-d) and QT dispersion (QT-d) analyses. These effects have not yet been studied in detail in LBW children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty LBW children and 70 normal birth weight (NBW) children were enrolled in this cross-sectional controlled study. The Pw-d and QT-d of the LBW and NBW children were investigated. Independent Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and χ(2) test were performed to compare these two groups. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to investigate whether there was a relationship between P-wave indices, QT derivatives, anthropometric and clinical features, and echocardiographic parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age, gender, body mass index, waist circumferences, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and echocardiographic measurements were similar between the LBW group and the NBW group (all P values > 0.05). The following findings were recorded for the LBW and NBW groups, respectively: the Pw-d (30 [10-50] ms vs 30 [10-50] ms, P = 0.977), QT-d (20 [10-50] ms vs 30 [15-50] ms, P = 0.561), and QTc-d (26 [14-54] ms vs 33 [17-62] ms, P = 0.866). No significant difference was found in Pw-d, QT-d, and QTc-d in comparison between the groups (all P values > 0.05). Pw-d was related to left atrial diameter and QTc-d was associated with left ventricle mass index even though they were within the normal range.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with the NBW group, no significant difference was found in both atrial conduction and ventricular repolarization features in LBW children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology.
authors.forename: Aydin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akyuz
authors.forename: Seref
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alpsoy
authors.forename: Dursun Cayan
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Akkoyun
authors.forename: Burcin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nalbantoglu
authors.forename: Burcu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ozdilek
authors.forename: Mustafa Metin
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Donma
mesh_terms: D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000151:congenital / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001835:Body Weight; D053840:Brugada Syndrome; D000075224:Cardiac Conduction System Disease; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000002:abnormalities*; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: P-wave indices; QT interval; childhood; low birth weight