Atrioventricular Flow Wave Patterns before and after Birth by Fetal Echocardiography

• Published in: Journal of Cardiovascular Ultrasound Vol. 20; no. 2; pp. 85 - 89
• Main Authors: Kim, Han Wool, Lee, Hyo Yeon, Baik, Soo Jin, Hong, Young Mi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Society of Echocardiography 01.06.2012
• Subjects: Original; Fetal echocardiography; Atrioventricular valve flow
• ISSN: 1975-4612; 2005-9655
• DOI: 10.4250/jcu.2012.20.2.85

Doppler echocardiographic measurements of both valves during intrauterine life can be used to calculate peak early filling velocity (E)/late peak atrial filling velocity (A) ratio as a single index of diastolic performance. The purposes of this study were to estimate the changes in atrioventricular valve flow from gestational age 37-40 weeks to 1 month of postnatal life and to clarify the difference in right and left ventricular diastolic filling patterns. Atrioventricular flow waves were analyzed in 24 full-term pregnant women by fetal echocardiography. Postnatal follow-up studies were performed at 1 hour, 6 hours, 24 hours, 3 days, 1 week and 1 month. In each time point, pulsed Doppler echocardiography was used to interrogate Doppler waveform of E velocity, A velocity, total area under the curve (time velocity integral) and heart rate. Mitral E/A ratio significantly increased from 0.7 ± 0.1 before birth to 1.0 ± 0.3 at postnatal 1 hour, 1.0 ± 0.2 at 1 week, and 1.5 ± 1.0 at 1 month. Tricuspid flow E/A ratio was 0.8 ± 0.3 before birth, 0.8 ± 0.1 at 1 hour, 0.8 ± 0.2 at 3 days, 0.9 ± 1.0 at 1 month. Time velocity integral of tricuspid flow was significantly higher than that of mitral flow before birth, but there was no difference after birth. The dominance of mitral A wave before birth was changed very quickly after birth to the dominance of E wave, but the dominance of tricuspid A wave was maintained at 1 month. Diastolic function and compliance of mitral valve were better than those of the tricuspid valve after birth.