Clinical characteristics and outcome of incidental atrial septal openings in very low birth weight infants.

Background: Atrial septal openings (ASOs) are very common in premature infants. Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and natural course of ASOs in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants diagnosed in the first week of life and the association of ASOs with various clinical factors. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 217 infants born with a weight of Results: The incidence of ASOs was 40.3% in VLBW infants. Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) was associated with a higher incidence of ASO in a multivariate analysis (OR 4.005, 95% CI 2.015-7.960, p Conclusions: ASOs occur at a relatively high incidence in VLBW infants, but most of these close spontaneously within 3 years. PDA was predictive of ASO at the first echocardiography but did not delay ASO closure. The ASOs in VLBW infants were not a significant cause of concern.