WEIGHTS OF CARDIAC VENTRICLES AT AND AFTER BIRTH

Abstract

From 1000 infant hearts, after excluding prematurely born infants or those dying with chronic illnesses, 105 were considered suitable for the study of normal ventricular weight. At birth the right ventricle is found to outweigh the left. The left ventricle outweighs the right by the end of four weeks after birth. No evidence for post-natal atrophy of the right ventricle was found. The right ventricle grains weight but at a slower rate than the left.