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Hemodynamic Precision in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit using Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography
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Color Doppler echocardiographic assessment of valvular regurgitation in normal infants

Shu-Ting Lee1, Meng-Hsun Lin

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

Journal of the Formosan Medical Association = Taiwan Yi Zhi
|February 4, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Valvular regurgitation is common in healthy infants, affecting over 60%. This echocardiographic study found most cases were mild and likely physiological, not pathological.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Diagnostic Imaging
  • Physiology

Background:

  • Valvular regurgitation is frequently observed in children, but its prevalence in infants is not well-established.
  • Echocardiography is a key tool for assessing cardiac structure and function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence and severity of valvular regurgitation in normal infants.
  • To utilize echocardiographic screening for this assessment.

Main Methods:

  • Two-dimensional (2D) color Doppler echocardiography was performed on 420 infants (1-12 months) with structurally normal hearts.
  • Pulsed, continuous-wave, and color Doppler techniques were employed to detect and evaluate regurgitant blood flow across all valves.

Main Results:

  • Valvular regurgitation was detected in 61.4% of infants.
  • Tricuspid (56.4%) and pulmonary (16.9%) regurgitation were most common; right-sided was more prevalent than left-sided.
  • Regurgitation was predominantly trivial or mild (97.3%) with low peak velocities (< or = 2.5 m/sec).

Conclusions:

  • A high prevalence of inaudible valvular regurgitation exists in infants with structurally normal hearts.
  • Multiple-valve involvement is not uncommon and is typically mild.
  • These findings suggest that such regurgitant flows are likely physiological in infancy, supported by Doppler and 2D imaging data.
Abstract

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