Comparison of the intervention methods for perinatal brain injury

To study the effective implementation of rehabilitation therapy for nervous system impairment in neonates with perinatal brain injury.

A retrospective case study of 160 neonates with perinatal brain injury was performed. The cases were assigned into 5 groups according to different treatment modalities. Group I included 42 babies aged below 6 months who were treated at early stages with neurotrophic agents and hyperbaric oxygenation with functional habilitation for more than 10 courses. Group II consisted of 30 babies who received the same treatments at the ages of 6 to 12 months. Group III (n=30) only received single-course therapy with medicine and high baric oxygen during neonatal period. Group IV(n=30) received medication only, while group V did not receive any nervous system rehabilitation therapy. Bayley Scale was used to evaluate the effect of the therapy in the 5 groups.

Assessment with Bayley Scale revealed significant difference in the scores of development quotient (DQ) between the 5 groups, and group I scored the highest in gross movement, fine movement, self-care ability and communication/language (P<0.01). Groups III and IV had better scores in gross movement than group II and V (P<0.05), while no significant difference was noted in respect of any other score among groups II,III,IV and V. The DQ values of the 5 groups were significantly different (X(2)=56.674, P<0.001).

Perinatal administration of neurotrophic agents and hyperbaric oxygenation along with functional habilitation therapy can effectively reduce nervous system sequelae of perinatal brain injury.