Serial change in myocardial tissue Doppler imaging from fetus to neonate

Our goal was to evaluate the serial change in myocardial performance from fetus to neonate using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI).

There were 37 term infants in the present study. The TDI sensor was placed at the level of the lateral mitral annulus (M-TDI), inter-ventricular septum (IVS-TDI) and the lateral tricuspid annulus (T-TDI). We measured TDI parameters from fetus to neonate. On univariate analysis, E' (cm/s), A' (cm/s), and S' (cm/s) of three ventricular walls of TDI parameters excluding E' IVS-TDI significantly decreased during the transition from fetal to neonatal circulation. E'/A' ratio, E/E' ratio and myocardial performance index (MPI) of three ventricular walls of TDI parameters excluding T-TDI MPI significantly increased during the transition from fetal to neonatal circulation. When multiple linear regression analysis with a step-wise procedure during the transition from fetus to neonate for TDI parameters was applied to variables, significant differences were noted for predicting decreases in M-TDI S' (6.55 to 3.97, p < 0.001) and IVS-TDI A', (6.69 to 4.69, p < 0.001), and increases in IVS-TDI E'/A' ratio (0.77 to 1.02, p < 0.001) and IVS-TDI E/E' ratio (8.25 to 13.65, p < 0.001).

In conclusion, we found that the myocardial performances of both ventricles decreased during the transition from fetus to neonate using TDI parameters. In particular, left ventricular systolic performance was affected more than when fetal circulation changed to neonate circulation. Our findings suggest that serial change in TDI can give new information to estimate myocardial performance of the neonate.