[Use of integrated echocardiography in the evaluation of neonatal asphyxia]

Perinatal asphyxia provides a dramatic example of vulnerability of the cardiovascular system during adaptation to the extrauterine life. The clinical picture is variable, depending upon the severity of perinatal stress and the individual response of pulmonary vascular bed and myocardium. Doppler Echocardiography is a reliable and noninvasive method which allows both the ruling out of congenital heart disease and the making of an early diagnosis in these neonates.