Quantification of regional left ventricular wall motion in newborns by color kinesis.

BACKGROUND Normal values for regional left ventricular wall motion, although documented in adults, have not been reported in healthy newborns. METHODS This study prospectively evaluated global and segmental systolic and diastolic cardiac function by color kinesis in clinically asymptomatic healthy newborns. RESULTS Eighty-eight asymptomatic infants who were less than 48 hours old were studied. Systolic and diastolic parameters of global and regional left ventricular function are reported as means +/- SD, medians, 5th and 95th percentiles to establish the normative values for newborns. The reported fractional area changes during systole and diastole are similar to the reported normal values for older subjects. Higher body surface area significantly correlated with an increased peak velocity during systole, and fractional area changes during filling of the lateral wall. CONCLUSIONS Our report of left ventricular regional wall-motion characteristics of healthy newborns, as evaluated by color kinesis, may help in the objective evaluation and management of newborns suspected to have global or segmental ventricular dysfunction.