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Left axis deviation in healthy infants and children
1Ospedale Aiuto Materno, Palermo, Italy.
Insights
Left axis deviation, a specific heart rhythm pattern, was found in 14 healthy children. This unusual electrocardiogram finding in pediatric patients warrants further attention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Clinical Electrocardiography
Background:
- Electrocardiograms (ECGs) are crucial for assessing pediatric cardiac health.
- Left axis deviation (LAD) is typically associated with cardiac abnormalities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the incidence and characteristics of LAD in children without diagnosed heart disease.
- To highlight an unusual ECG finding in a pediatric cohort.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 1036 routine electrocardiograms from children.
- Identification of cases with left axis deviation (mean frontal QRS axis ≤ -30 degrees).
- Clinical and echocardiographic evaluation to exclude heart disease.
Main Results:
- 14 out of 1036 children (1.3%) exhibited LAD.
- No clinical or echocardiographic evidence of heart disease was found in these children.
- Six children also presented with incomplete right bundle branch block.
- The affected children ranged from 3 months to 10 years, predominantly males (13/14).
Conclusions:
- Left axis deviation can occur in healthy children without underlying heart disease.
- This finding is uncommon and predominantly observed in young males.
- Further investigation into the significance and implications of LAD in asymptomatic children is suggested.
Abstract:
In a series of 1036 routine electrocardiograms, 14 children, without clinical and echocardiographic evidence of heart disease, showed a left axis deviation in the standard electrocardiogram. Six children also had an incomplete right bundle branch block. Left axis deviation is defined as a mean frontal QRS complex axis being -30 degrees or less. The age varied from three months to 10 years, with a clear predominance of males (13/14). The unusual finding of left QRS axis deviation in normal children is emphasized.