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Updated: Jun 4, 2026
Noninvasive Electrocardiography in the Perinatal Mouse
Published on: June 12, 2020
[Usefulness of electrocardiographic screening in a neonatal population]
M Cruz Cañete1, C Rus Mansilla, A Gómez Lara
1Unidad de Pediatría, Línea de procesos Materno-Infantiles. Hospital Alto Guadalquivir, Empresa Pública Hospital Alto Guadalquivir, Andújar, Jaén, Spain. macruca@gmail.com
Insights
Newborn electrocardiogram (ECG) screening is a safe and affordable method to detect congenital long QT syndrome and other potentially fatal heart conditions in infants. This screening identifies asymptomatic cases, enabling early intervention and prevention of sudden infant death syndrome.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Clinical Electrophysiology
- Public Health Screening
Context:
- Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a rare genetic disorder linked to 10% of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) cases.
- LQTS presents with prolonged QT intervals on electrocardiograms (ECG) and life-threatening arrhythmias in asymptomatic infants.
- Early diagnosis and treatment of LQTS are crucial for preventing sudden cardiac events.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of introducing electrocardiogram (ECG) screening in newborns.
- To describe key ECG measurements and pathological findings within the studied infant population.
- To assess the diagnostic yield and safety of neonatal ECG screening.
Summary:
- A total of 1006 newborns underwent 12-lead ECG screening, with 94.8% compliance.
- Five (0.5%) ECGs were initially pathological, including two cases of long QT interval and two of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
- Follow-up ECGs confirmed two long QT interval cases, with no structural heart disease identified.
Impact:
- Neonatal ECG screening is a low-cost, well-accepted, and safe procedure for identifying asymptomatic, potentially lethal heart conditions.
- This screening facilitates early diagnosis and management of preventable cardiac diseases in newborns.
- The study establishes reference ECG parameters for infants and highlights the value of universal screening.
Introduction:
Congenital long QT syndrome is a rare disease, but is responsible for nearly 10% of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It is characterized by an abnormal prolonged QT interval in the basal electrocardiogram (ECG) with life-threatening arrhythmias which occur in previously asymptomatic patients and are preventable with an appropriate treatment.
Aims:
The impact of introducing ECG-screening in newborns is studied and main ECG-measurements are described in our population.
Material And Methods:
Twelve-lead ECG was carried out.
Measurements:
RR, PR and QT interval, heart rate corrected QT interval, R wave voltage in V1, AVR and AVL, Q wave in I and AVL, P amplitude and voltage, right bundle branch block and ST elevation (Brugada pattern) and delta wave. It was considered pathological: QTc >0.44 or <0.30 seconds; R >12 in V1 and >8mm in AVR; R >7.5mm in AVL; Q >25% QRS in I and AVL; Brugada pattern; delta wave.
Results:
A total of 1061 healthy children were born in our hospital between 29 May 2007 and 12 December 2008, of which 50.3% were males. An ECG was performed on 1006 (94.8%). Five ECG were pathological (0.5%): 2 long QT interval, 2 Wolf-Parkinson-White, 1 pathological Q-wave. A second ECG confirmed except for 2 long QT. No structural heart disease was found.
Conclusions:
ECG-screening in newborns is an innocuous, low-cost and parent-well-accepted test that allows us to diagnose asymptomatic but potentially lethal and preventable heart disease; main intervals and waves in our population are describes in this study.
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