[Interest of systematic echocardiography to detect neonatal cardiac abnormalities]

ABSTRACT

Cardiac disorders are frequent in newborn from diabetic mother. The screening must be performed as early as possible in neonatal period. We have done a prospective study with 161 newborns from april the first 2005 to 31 [th] july 2006 to evaluate the interest of a systematic echocardiography to detect neonatal cardiac abnormalities. 42.2%of neonatal echocardiography [68 cases] were realized in the early neonate period and the last 57.8%of echocardiographies in the period between the 29 [th] day and the third month of life. All neonates were asymptomatic during the examination. We found cardiac disorders in 14 newborns [8.5 of cases]. Asymmetric septal hypertrophy was found in 3.7%of cases [6 newborns] with a high significative correlation with macrosomia. Cardiac malformations were diagnosed in 7.7%of newborns [55%of echocardiographic abnormalities] interesting interventricular and interatrial septa, big vessels. Echocardiography is the golden standard test in the screening of cardiac abnormalities in newborns of diabetic mothers, septal hypertrophy is the most frequent disorder observed. A clinical and echocardiographic follow up is necessary regularly when abnormalities are detected