Features of left ventricle longitudinal strain in children from one to five years old, born with low, very low, and extremely low body weight

Purpose. The study assessed left ventricle longitudinal strain of the endocardial, middle, and epicardial layers in children from one to five years old, born with low, very low, and extremely low body weight.
Material and methods. The study was performed in 204 children aged from one to five years; of these, 53 children were prematurely born late in pregnancy, 103 children were born very preterm, and 48 children were born healthy and full-term. The left ventricle longitudinal strain of the endocardial, middle, and epicardial layers was assessed off-line using the Speckle Tracking Imaging-2D Strain technology.
Results. Disturbance of the transmural gradient strain of left ventricle wall were detected in 11.32% of prematurely born late in pregnancy children and in 16.5% of very preterm children. A decrease of left ventricle segments strain was registered in 33.96% of children prematurely born late in pregnancy and in 18.44% very preterm children. In children of the same age, born healthy and full-term, transmural wall gradient disturbances and decrease of strain in left ventricle segments were not observed. In children prematurely born late in pregnancy, the disturbance of the transmural strain gradient of left ventricle and the decrease of strain in left ventricle segments are not associated with left ventricle remodeling.
Conclusion. The development of the cardiovascular system in children of early and preschool age, born prematurely with low, very low, and extremely low body weight, is characterized by disturbances in the transmural strain gradient of left ventricle wall, due to the processes of postnatal growth and development of the child’s heart, which requires monitoring on an outpatient basis in polyclinic in childhood — by a pediatric cardiologist and a pediatrician, and in adulthood — by a cardiologist and therapist.

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