AbstractBackground: The HRV is a sensitive index in establishing the underlying cardiovascular derangements within the age. The study of cardiovascular autonomic function and its maturation in the pediatric age group has gained importance as there are no much data in the literature.
Objectives: To assess the gender based differences on HRV during the period of puberty, the age at cardiac autonomic axis maturates.
Material & Methods: The study was done on 145 children of both the genders of urban population categorized in two groups as Group I (7-9 years, n=65) & Group II (10-12 years, n= 80). Basal 5 minutes ECG was recorded and the standard time domain indices (mean RR, SDNN, PNN50 and RMSSD) and frequency domain indices (TP, LF, HF, and LFnu, HFnu and LF/HF ratio) of HRV were calculated and analyzed.
Results: Time domain and frequency domain indices were significantly (p<0.01) more in females than males in younger group I and less in females in group II.
Conclusion: The study proposed that there are established gender differences in the autonomic axis maturation due to the onset of puberty in females (preferably adrenarche) may result in profound decrease in the HRV parameters. A similar finding was not seen in boys because of the natural delay in the onset of puberty in comparison to their female counterparts.
Keywords: Autonomic Axis; Maturation; Heart Rate Variability; Gender.