The Unipolar Precordial and Extremity Electrocardiogram in Normal Infants and Children

Abstract

Information regarding the normal unipolar electrocardiogram in the young ages is very limited. This study furnishes data obtained from 521 normal infants and children from birth to 13 years, using the V chest leads and the aV limb leads. Four age groups were noted in the evolution of the newborn pattern into the adult pattern as mainly reflected by the configuration of the QRS complex in V₁. Detailed analyses of the rest of the unipolar electrocardiogram disclosed other distinctive features both in wave patterns and voltages which differ significantly not only from adult findings but also among the various age groups noted.