Doppler Echocardiographic Evaluation of Right and Left Ventricular Diastolic Function in Normal Neonates

Doppler echocardiograms of the tricuspid and mitral valves were recorded along with the electrocardiogram and respiration in 22 normal full-term neonates. A computer-interfaced digitizer pad was utilized to measure the following: peak E and A velocities (cm/s); E and A areas (the components of the total velocity-time integral in the early passive period of ventricular filling [E] and the late active period of atrial emptying [A], respectively) and the 1/3 area fraction (or the proportion of filling in the first 1/3 of diastole). All of the variables of right (tricuspid) versus left (mitral) ventricular filling were significantly different on the 1st day of life. Respective values were peak E velocity (cm/s) 44.6 +/- 10.0 (tricuspid) versus 53.2 +/- 9.3 (mitral), p less than 0.01; peak E/A ratio 0.84 +/- 0.14 versus 1.15 +/- 0.17, p less than 0.0001; E/total area 0.58 +/- 0.07 versus 0.63 +/- 0.05, p less than 0.005; E/A area ratio 1.05 +/- 0.23 versus 1.63 +/- 0.40, p less than 0.0001; 1/3 area fraction 0.31 +/- 0.04 versus 0.41 +/- 0.04, p less than 0.0001; peak A velocity (cm/s) 53.0 +/- 8.4 versus 47.6 +/- 5.8, p less than 0.05 and A/total area 0.57 +/- 0.09 versus 0.41 +/- 0.09, p less than 0.001; the mean heart rate (beats/min) was not significantly different: 121 +/- 8 versus 120 +/- 7. Most of the variables remained significantly different on the 2nd day of life, but the level of significance was the same or less for all measurements.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)