Normative Echocardiographic Left Ventricular Parameters and Reference Intervals in Infants

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Neonatal Echocardiography
• Cardiac Physiology

Background:

• Accurate reference intervals for pediatric echocardiography are crucial for differentiating normal variation from pathology.
• Left ventricular (LV) parameters are key predictors of clinical outcomes in neonates.
• Existing reference data for healthy newborns are limited, leading to inadequate approximations of normal ranges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop normative reference intervals and z-scores for 2-dimensional echocardiographic measurements of LV structure and function.
• To establish reliable data based on a large cohort of healthy newborns.

Main Methods:

• Analyzed echocardiograms from 13,454 healthy newborns (Copenhagen Baby Heart Study).
• Included infants born at term, within 30 days of birth, without congenital heart disease.
• Modeled 10 LV parameters against body surface area using joint modeling of 4 statistical components.

Main Results:

• Developed normative reference intervals and z-scores for 10 LV parameters.
• Reference intervals performed well across sexes without stratification.
• Separate models were necessary for infants examined <7 days versus 7-30 days of age.

Conclusions:

• Provides normative reference intervals and z-scores for 10 widely used LV echocardiographic measures in newborns.
• Offers essential reference material for clinical application by pediatric cardiologists.
• Enhances diagnostic accuracy in neonatal cardiac assessments.