Normal Reference Ranges for Pulmonary Artery Diameters in Preterm Infants

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Neonatology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Pulmonary artery (PA) diameters are critical indicators of cardiovascular health in neonates.
• Establishing normative data for PA dimensions in preterm infants is essential for accurate clinical assessment.
• Current reference ranges may not adequately account for the rapid growth and developmental variations in preterm populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine normal reference ranges and Z-scores for main, right, and left pulmonary artery diameters in preterm infants.
• To investigate the correlation of these diameters with body surface area (BSA), body weight, and chronological age.
• To provide a validated reference tool for clinical use in neonatology.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving 268 preterm infants (24-35 weeks gestational age).
• Echocardiography performed from birth up to 36 weeks corrected age to measure PA diameters.
• Data analyzed for correlation with body weight, BSA (categorized into 13 groups), and age.

Main Results:

• All measured PA diameters (main, right, left) showed significant positive correlations with body weight and BSA.
• Reference ranges, mean ± SD, and Z-scores for PA diameters relative to BSA were calculated.
• A progressive increase in PA diameters was observed with increasing BSA and during the first nine weeks of life.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully established normal reference ranges and Z-scores for pulmonary artery diameters in preterm infants.
• These data demonstrate a strong correlation between PA dimensions and anthropometric parameters like BSA and weight.
• The provided Z-scores serve as a valuable clinical tool for monitoring pulmonary artery growth and detecting abnormalities in preterm neonates.