Abstract: Objective To investigate the clinical value of echocardiography in assessing the cardiac function and structure of preterm neonates. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 81 preterm neonates who were born in Zhangzhou Zhengxing Hospital from February 2022 to February 2024, and according to their gestational age, they were divided into low gestational age group (≤29 weeks + 6 days) with 26 neonates, moderate gestational age group (30-33 weeks + 6 days) with 27 neonates, and late gestational age group (34-36 weeks + 6 days) with 28 neonates. Echocardiography was performed for all three groups, and body weight, heart rate, cardiac function, and cardiac structure were compared between the three groups. The Pearson correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation of cardiac function and structure indicators with body weight and heart rate. Results Compared with the low gestational age group, the moderate gestational age group and the late gestational age group had a significantly higher body weight and a significantly lower heart rate, and compared with the moderate gestational age group, the late gestational age group had a significantly higher body weight and a significantly lower heart rate (P<0.05). Compared with the low gestational age group, the moderate gestational age group and the late gestational age group had significantly higher values of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS), mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), and peak diastolic velocity (E)/peak diastolic velocity (A) ratio, and the late gestational age group had significantly higher values than the moderate gestational age group (P<0.05). Compared with the low gestational age group, the moderate gestational age group and the late gestational age group had significantly higher values of left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVDd), right ventricular end-diastolic diameter (RVDd), left ventricular posterior wall thickness in diastole (LVPWd), interventricular septum end-diastolic thickness (IVSd), end-diastolic aortic root diameter (AOD), left atrial end-systolic diameter (LADs), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVDs), and end-systolic main pulmonary artery diameter (MPA), and the late gestational age group had significantly higher values than the moderate gestational age group (P<0.05). The Pearson correlation analysis showed that the gestational age and body weight of preterm neonates were positively correlated with LVEF, LVFS, MAPSE, TAPSE, E/A ratio, LVDd, RVDd, LVPWd, IVSd, AOD, LADs, LVDs, and MPA, and heart rate was negatively correlated with LVEF, LVFS, MAPSE, TAPSE, E/A ratio, LVDd, RVDd, LVPWd, IVSd, AOD, LADs, LVDs, and MPA (P<0.05). Conclusion Echocardiography can record and evaluate the changes in cardiac function and structure in preterm neonates with different gestational ages, and the gestational age and body weight of preterm neonates are positively correlated with the changes in cardiac function and structure, while heart rate is negatively correlated with the changes in cardiac function and structure.

Key words: Echocardiography, Preterm neonates, Cardiac function, Cardiac structure