Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular output and left ventricular diastolic filling changes in the first day of life.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in Doppler transmitral flow patterns during the 1st d of life. Doppler echocardiography of the ascending aorta and mitral valve was performed serially in 20 normal neonates at 2, 12, and 24 h of age. A computer-interfaced digitizer pad was used to measure the following: ascending aorta flow velocity-time integral, total diastolic filling flow velocity-time integral, flow velocity-time integral of early diastolic filling, and flow velocity-time integral of atrial contraction. The inner diameter of the ductus arteriosus was 4.2 +/- 0.6 mm at 2 h of age, 2.3 +/- 0.5 mm at 12 h of age, and had closed in 17 of 20 neonates (85%) by 24 h of age. The ascending aorta flow velocity-time integral and total diastolic filling flow velocity-time integral, which were high at 2 h of age, decreased significantly at 12 h of age [12.2 +/- 2.1 cm versus 9.6 +/- 1.7 cm (p < 0.001) and 8.0 +/- 1.1 versus 7.1 +/- 1.4 (p < 0.01), respectively] but remained constant thereafter.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)