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Updated: Aug 29, 2026

Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats
Published on: November 20, 2015
Clinical signs predict 30-month neurodevelopmental outcome after neonatal encephalopathy
Steven P Miller1, Beatrice Latal, Howard Clark
1Department of Neurology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, 94110, USA.
Objective:
This study was undertaken to determine the value of a neonatal encephalopathy score (ES) and the presence of seizures for predicting 30-month neurodevelopmental outcome.
Study Design:
In a cohort study, 68 term newborn infants with encephalopathy were evaluated with an ES based on alertness, feeding, tone, respiratory status, reflexes, and seizure activity (range: 0-6). Seizures were noted as present or absent clinically. Significant cognitive deficits (Mental Development Index <70), motor disability (spastic triplegia/quadriplegia), or death were abnormal outcomes.
Results:
Twenty-two newborn infants (32%) had abnormal outcomes. With the use of maximum ES and presence of seizures from days 1 to 3 of life, 87% of newborn infants were correctly classified (area under receiver operating curve 0.93). By using ES and presence of seizures on day 1 only, 87% of newborn infants were correctly classified (area under receiver operating curve 0.89).
Conclusion:
The severity of neonatal encephalopathy and the presence of seizures are valuable predictors of 30-month neurodevelopmental outcome, as early as the first day of life.
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