QT dispersion and T-loop morphology in late pregnancy and after delivery

The aim of the study was to detect changes of both the QT dispersion and T-loop morphology resulting from the changed spatial position of the heart during pregnancy. Electrocardiographic and vectorcardiographic recordings were obtained from 37 healthy women 19-36 years old in the 36th to 40th week of physiological pregnancy and 2 to 6 days after delivery. The same recordings were obtained from 18 healthy women of the same age. The average QT dispersion (+/- S.D.) in normal subjects was significantly lower (34 +/- 12 ms) than in those in late pregnancy (73 +/- 18 ms) (P < 0.001). The average amplitude of T-loop (Ta) in women in late pregnancy was significantly (P < 0.001) smaller (532 +/- 98 microV) and the width of T-loop (Tw) was wider (21.24 +/- 11.48 deg) than in the control group (793 +/- 114 microV and 7.17 +/- 3.02 deg, respectively). The partial post-partum restoration of all parameters was not significant. In all groups, the QT dispersion was significantly correlated with Tw but not with Ta. According to these results we can conclude that the QT dispersion is an indirect reflection of the complete process of ventricular repolarization, reflected in the morphology of the T-loop.