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Updated: Aug 16, 2026
Hemodynamic Precision in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit using Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography
Published on: January 27, 2023
Left ventricular diastolic performance in neonates
Satoru Iwashima1, Masashi Seguchi, Takehiko Ohzeki
1Department of Pediatrics, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan. iwashima@hama-med.ac.jp
Insights
Left ventricular diastolic function in infants was assessed using LV propagation velocity (Vp). Vp is a reliable parameter for evaluating infant cardiac performance, even in the neonatal period.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Cardiology
- Pediatric Echocardiography
- Cardiovascular Physiology
Background:
- Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infants require ongoing cardiac assessment.
- Left ventricular (LV) diastolic performance is crucial for infant cardiovascular health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate LV diastolic performance in stable NICU infants.
- To assess the utility of LV propagation velocity (Vp) measured by color M-mode Doppler echocardiography (CMD) in neonates.
Main Methods:
- Echocardiography was used to measure LV diastolic parameters in 55 stable infants (SI group).
- LV diastolic performance was re-evaluated in 10 infants (PI group) during patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure.
- Key parameters included LV propagation velocity (Vp), E wave, A wave, and E/A ratio.
Main Results:
- A positive correlation was found between Vp and gestational age in the SI group (r = 0.477, p = 0.0002).
- Vp showed no significant change during PDA closure in the PI group (23.3±8.2 to 27.5±8.4 cm/s).
- The E/Vp ratio significantly decreased during PDA closure (3.14±0.83 to 2.12±0.68, p = 0.0051).
Conclusions:
- LV propagation velocity (Vp) measured by CMD is a valuable parameter for assessing LV diastolic performance in neonates.
- Infant LV diastolic performance remains stable from birth through spontaneous PDA closure.
Background:
The left ventricular (LV) diastolic performance of infants who were in a stable post-treatment condition in the neonatal intensive care unit was evaluated using echocardiography.
Methods And Results:
The study group comprised 55 infants (Stable infant group, SI) and the parameters of LV performance were: LV propagation velocity (Vp) by color M-mode Doppler echocardiography (CMD), peak E wave, peak A wave, and the E/A ratio of transmitral flow. In a second set of measurements, a subset of 10 infants (patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) infant group, PI) were evaluated for LV diastolic performance during closure of PDA. The mean Vp in the SI was 27.2+/-7.3 cm/s and a positive correlation was observed between Vp and gestational age (r = 0.477, p = 0.0002). In the PI, Vp did not change significantly during closure of the PDA (from 23.3+/-8.2 cm/s to 27.5+/-8.4 cm/s); however, the E/Vp ratio decreased significantly with closure (from 3.14+/-0.83 to 2.12+/-0.68, p = 0.0051).
Conclusion:
The measurement of Vp by CMD can be considered a parameter for the evaluation of LV diastolic performance, even in the neonatal period. The LV diastolic performance of the infant is maintained from immediately after birth to spontaneous closure of the PDA.
