Developmental changes in left and right ventricular function evaluated with color tissue Doppler imaging and strain...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Echocardiography
• Cardiac Physiology

Background:

• Assessing ventricular function in children is crucial for understanding cardiac development.
• Echocardiography techniques like Doppler imaging and tissue tracking offer detailed insights into cardiac mechanics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the systolic and diastolic functions of both ventricles in healthy children from infancy to adolescence.
• To characterize the developmental changes in cardiac function using advanced echocardiographic methods.

Main Methods:

• 100 healthy children aged 1 month to 13 years were studied.
• Color tissue Doppler imaging and 2D speckle tracking echocardiography were employed.
• Measurements included mitral/tricuspid inflow velocities (E), myocardial velocities (S', E'), and strain (longitudinal and radial).

Main Results:

• Systolic indices (S', strain) increased significantly, reaching adult-like values by 1 year of age.
• The early diastolic filling index (E/E') was high in neonates and infants, decreasing by 1 year.
• Cardiac function parameters demonstrated rapid development in the first year, followed by stabilization.

Conclusions:

• Significant changes in systolic and diastolic cardiac function occur from birth to 1 year.
• Pediatric cardiac function exhibits marked maturation in infancy, with minimal changes thereafter.