Longitudinal trends in left ventricular cardiac output in healthy infants in the first year of life.

We studied left ventricular (LV) cardiac output as estimated by ascending aorta blood flow (QAo) longitudinally in 31 healthy infants from birth through the first year of life using noninvasive pulsed Doppler ultrasound technique. The temporal mean ascending aortic blood flow velocity (VAo) was measured with a 5-MHz pulsed Doppler velocimeter and on line integration system. Ascending aortic cross-sectional area (AAo) was determined using M-mode echography. Ascending aortic blood flow was calculated as QAo = VAo X AAo and was corrected to body weight (BW) in kilograms or body surface area (BSA) in meters squared. Mean ascending aortic flow velocity (VAo) remained relatively constant over the first year, averaging 20.5 +/- 3.4 cm/sec (+/- SD). Changes in AAo over time correlated strongly with changes in BW or BSA (r = 0.99). Therefore, changes in QAo correlated strongly with changes in AAo, BW, and BSA (r = 0.99). LV cardiac output corrected for body weight or BSA remained relatively constant throughout the first year, mean values ranging from 180-226 ml/min/kg or 3.06-3.76 L/min/m2 and averaging 204 +/- 45 ml/min/kg or 3.48 +/- 0.74 L/min/m2. A similar strong correlation was seen between serial changes in LV stroke volume and changes in BW or BSA (r = 0.99).