Ecocardiographical evaluation of cardiac functions of 7-11 years old children born prematurely

Preterm birth constitutes more than 10% of births worldwide and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in the long term. This study aimed to evaluate echocardiographically the cardiac functions of 7-11 year old children with a history of preterm birth and to evaluate its relationship with neonatal factors. A total of 64 children, 32 children between the ages of 7-11 with a history of premature birth and 32 age- and gender- matched healthy children, were included in the study. While no significant difference was detected between the age, height and body weights of the premature and healthy control groups, when their echocardiographic data were compared, the values of mitral E, mitral A, tricuspid A by pulse wave doppler, and septal E by tissue doppler were higher than the children in the control group (p<0.05). ). In addition, left ventricular global longitudinal peak strain, right ventricular free wall and right ventricular 4 chamber, IVRT, MPI, MAPSE, LVESV values of children in the premature group were lower than those of children in the control group (p<0.05). With strain echocardiography, left ventricular longitudinal strain was -21.23 ± 1.88 in the premature group, while it was -22.70 ± 1.87 in the control group, and a significant difference was detected (p = 0.003). Right ventricular strain measurements were found to be significantly lower in the premature group (p = 0.001). When the relationship between perinatal factors and echocardiographic data was evaluated, IVRT, MAPSE, IVSd, LVEDd, LVESd, LVEDV, LVESV, LV global and RVFWS measurements were found to be lower in the presence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The presence of other neonatal factors did not cause a significant echocardiographic difference. Even if no obvious pathological findings were detected in conventional echocardiographic examinations in school-age children with a history of preterm birth, further echocardiographic examinations showed effects compared to healthy controls, especially in diastolic functions and right and left ventricular longitudinal strain examinations. Key Words: Prematurity, Strain Echocardiography, Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, Tissue Doppler Echocardiography