THE ELECTROCARDIOGRAM IN THE NORMAL INFANT

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A 10-lead electrocardiogram was recorded in 50 normal infants, recordings being made at 5 days, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. In 20 of these infants recordings were made daily for 7 days commencing within the first 24 hours of life. The results have been recorded in tables giving the maximum, minimum, and mean values of the Q, R, S, and T waves. Histograms have been prepared to show the distribution of the values of the R and S waves during the period studied. The recordings show that there is a gradual increase in the activity of the left ventricle between birth and 1 year. This is shown mainly by an increase in the height of the R wave in lead V6, although there is also some deepening of the S wave in lead V1. There is a decrease in right ventricular activity during the first year of life but this is less impressive than the increase in left ventricular activity. We confirm previous observations that deep Q waves are not unusual in leads III, AVF, and V6 in the first year of life and that positive T waves are commonly found in leads V3R and V1 on the first day of life but by the fifth day of life they have all become negative.