Percentile curves of normal echocardiographic measurements values for left heart structures in 1570 Han Chinese preterm and term infants

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to evaluate echocardiographic measurements in Han Chinese preterm and term infants and to build percentile curves of normal echocardiographic measurements values related to the weight. METHOD: From December 2014 to December 2021, a total of 797 male infants and 773 female infants born in * were included in the study. The echocardiographic measurements of each subject were as follows: left ventricular internal diameter at end-diastole (LVIDd), left ventricular internal diameter at end-systole (LVIDs), left ventricular posterior wall thickness at end-diastole (LVPWd), left ventricular posterior wall thickness at end-systole (LVPWs), interventricular septal thickness at end-diastole (IVSd), interventricular septal thickness at end-systole (IVSs), ascending aorta diameter (AO), left atrium (LA) dimension, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS) and left ventricular mass (LVM). The correlations between echocardiography measurements and birth weight (BW), length (L), gestational age (GA), and body surface area (BSA) were analyzed. RESULTS: There was a good correlation between the echocardiographic measurements and birth weight and percentile curves of the echocardiographic measurements were established according to different birth weight. The echocardiographic measurements were not affected by gender. However, LVEF and LVFS did not change with BW or gender. CONCLUSIONS: The percentile curves of normal values make it possible to classify echocardiographic measurements for left heart structures and function as normal or abnormal and is helpful for the diagnosis of neonatal heart disease in preterm and term infants.