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Heart rate and systolic time intervals in healthy newborn infants: Longitudinal study

Pediatric Cardiology volume 6, pages 117–121 (1985)Cite this article

Summary

To determine the influence of heart rate (HR) on systolic time intervals (STI) in neonates, serial measurements of right ventricular (RVSTI) and left ventricular systolic time intervals (LVSTI) were made on 30 healthy term newborn infants at age 4–8 h, 24–30 h, eight days, and four weeks. STI was related to HR and age. Age-related changes were similar to previously reported results. The preejection periods (RPEP and LPEP) significantly shortened with increasing age, whereas the right and left ventricular ejection times (RVET and LVET) were unrelated to age. RPEP was unrelated to HR, but tended to be prolonged in restless infants. With increasing HR, RVET decreased and RPEP/RVET increased in all age groups, but less at four weeks. A rise in HR of 50/min resulted in an increase of RPEP/RVET by 26% of the mean value at age 4–8 h and by 20% at four weeks. In 14 infants, RVSTI was recorded during a change in HR. In all these infants, RPEP and RPEP/RVET increased with increasing HR. We conclude that HR-related changes of RVSTI in neonates are different from those in older subjects. It should be considered that in neonates elevated values of RPEP/RVET, suggesting increased pulmonary vascular resistance, may be caused by high HR and unrest.

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Abbreviations

ECG:

electrocardiogram

HR:

heart rate

LPEP:

left ventricular preejection period

LVET:

left ventricular ejection time

LVETc :

LVET corrected for heart rate

LVSTI:

left ventricular systolic time intervals

PCG:

phonocardiogram

RPEP:

right ventricular preejection period

RVET:

right ventricular ejection time

RVETc :

RVET corrected for heart rate

RVSTI:

right ventricular systolic time intervals

STI:

systolic time intervals

h:

hours

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Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Klinkum Gr Bhadern, University of Munich, Germany

    Wolfgang Lindner, Christoph Döhlemann & Karl Schneider

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Neonatology, Klinkum Gr Bhadern, University of Munich, Germany

    Hans Versmold

Authors
  1. Wolfgang Lindner
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  2. Christoph Döhlemann
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  3. Karl Schneider
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  4. Hans Versmold
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Lindner, W., Döhlemann, C., Schneider, K. et al. Heart rate and systolic time intervals in healthy newborn infants: Longitudinal study. Pediatr Cardiol 6, 117–121 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02336549

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02336549

Key words

  • Normal neonates
  • Right ventricular systolic time intervals
  • Left ventricular systolic time intervals
  • Heart rate
  • Longitudinal study