Abnormal left ventricular diastolic filling patterns in small-for-gestational-age infants

Doppler transmitral flow velocity patterns in assessing left ventricular diastolic function in small-for-gestational-age infants have been poorly understood. The purpose of this study is to examine Doppler filling patterns in small-for-gestational-age infants ( n=13) and to compare them with those in age-matched appropriate-for-gestational-age infants ( n=29). We measured peak flow velocities of early diastole (peak E wave) and atrial contraction (peak A wave), ratio of peak E wave to peak A wave (peak E/A wave), velocity time integrals of E wave (VTIE wave) and A wave (VTIA wave), ratio of VTIE wave to VTIA wave (VTIE/A wave), first third filling fraction, peak filling rate normalized to stroke volume, and deceleration time. Mean gestational age and heart rate did not show a significant difference between the appropriate- and the small-for-gestational-age infants. The mean birth weight in the small-for-gestational-age infants was significantly lower than that in the appropriate-for-gestational-age infants (802±220 vs. 1184±260 g, P