Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Development of a Neonatal Piglet Acute Lung Injury Model Recreating the Early Environment of Preterm Infant Lungs
08:58

Development of a Neonatal Piglet Acute Lung Injury Model Recreating the Early Environment of Preterm Infant Lungs

Published on: October 31, 2025

657

Normal reference ranges for aortic diameters in preterm infants

Lulu Abushaban1,2, Thinakar Vel Mariappa1, Jebaraj Rathinasamy1

  • 1Chest Diseases Hospital, Ministry of Health, Kuwait City, KuwaitaKuwait.

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association
|June 19, 2018
PubMed

Insights

This study establishes normal reference ranges and Z-scores for aortic diameters in preterm infants. These findings correlate aortic measurements with body surface area, aiding in clinical assessment.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Cardiology
  • Pediatric Echocardiography
  • Growth and Development

Background:

  • Accurate assessment of aortic diameters is crucial for preterm infants.
  • Establishing normative data is essential for identifying potential cardiovascular abnormalities.
  • Previous studies may lack comprehensive data specific to preterm populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine normal reference ranges and Z-scores for aortic diameters in preterm infants.
  • To evaluate the correlation of aortic diameters with body surface area, body weight, and gestational age.
  • To provide a valuable reference tool for clinicians assessing preterm infants.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective study included 268 preterm infants.
  • Echocardiograms measured ascending aorta, transverse aorta, and aortic isthmus diameters.
  • Measurements were taken from birth up to 36 weeks postmenstrual age, with body surface area categorized into 13 groups.

Main Results:

  • Aortic diameters showed significant correlations with body weight and body surface area.
  • Normal reference ranges and Z-scores were established based on body surface area.
  • A progressive increase in aortic diameters was observed with increasing body surface area and during the first 9 weeks of life.

Conclusions:

  • Ascending aorta, transverse aorta, and aortic isthmus diameters are significantly correlated with body surface area and weight in preterm infants.
  • The study provides essential reference data and Z-scores for these aortic segments.
  • This data serves as a normal reference tool for clinical use in preterm infant cardiology.
Abstract

Keywords:
Aortic diametersBody surface areaPreterm infantsReference rangesZ-scores

More Related Videos

Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates06:27

Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates

Published on: December 31, 2015

8.6K
A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting14:43

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting

Published on: January 12, 2018

13.5K

Related Concept Videos

Variation: Normal Distribution, Range, and Standard Deviation02:32

Variation: Normal Distribution, Range, and Standard Deviation

In the field of psychology, there are several ways to organize measurements of a trait, feature, or characteristic (i.e., variables). Qualitative data, such as ethnicity, can be tabulated into a frequency count to provide information about the proportion, as well as the variety of groups in a sample or population. On the other hand, researchers can perform a wider set of calculations on quantitative data. The mean, mode, and median, for instance, are central tendency measures to identify a...
28.6K
Range00:59

Range

The range is one of the measures of variation. It can be defined as the difference between a dataset's highest and lowest values. For example, in the study of seven 16-ounce soda cans, the filled volume of soda was measured, thus producing the following amount (in ounces) of soda:
15.9; 16.1; 15.2; 14.8; 15.8; 15.9; 16.0; 15.5
Measurements of the amount of soda in a 16-ounce can vary since different subjects record these measurements or since the exact amount - 16 ounces of liquid, was not...
14.3K
Inertial Frames of Reference01:03

Inertial Frames of Reference

Newton’s first law is usually considered to be a statement about reference frames. It provides a method for identifying a special type of reference frame: the inertial reference frame. In principle, we can make the net force on a body zero. If its velocity relative to a given frame is constant, then that frame is said to be inertial. So, by definition, an inertial reference frame is a reference frame where Newton's first law holds valid. Newton's first law applies to objects with...
8.8K
Non-inertial Frames of Reference01:27

Non-inertial Frames of Reference

A reference frame accelerating or decelerating relative to an inertial frame is a non-inertial frame. To help understand this, consider what taking off in an airplane, turning a corner in a car, riding a merry-go-round, and the circular motion of a tropical cyclone all have in common. All these systems are accelerating, decelerating, or rotating relative to the Earth; hence, they all are non-inertial frames. All these systems exhibit inertial forces, which merely seem to arise from motion,...
7.2K
Normal Distribution01:11

Normal Distribution

The normal, a continuous distribution, is the most important of all the distributions. Its graph is a bell-shaped symmetrical curve, which is observed in almost all disciplines. Some of these include psychology, business, economics, the sciences, nursing, and, of course, mathematics. Some instructors may use the normal distribution to help determine students’ grades. Most IQ scores are normally distributed. Often real-estate prices fit a normal distribution. The normal distribution is...
17.3K
Normal Stress01:19

Normal Stress

Normal stress is a type of stress that occurs when forces act perpendicular, or normal, to a material's cross-sectional area. This stress often arises in structures when subjected to axial loading, which is the application of force along the axis of an object. A practical example of this can be found in bridge truss members.
When a rod is under axial loading, the internal forces and corresponding stress are normal to the plane of the section, so it is termed normal stress. It's important to...
1.4K