[Neurological consequences following perinatal asphyxia in preschool age children]

Various groups have been addressing the question of whether perinatal asphyxia (PA) affects on newborn health and nervous system. It is widely accepted that severe PA causes motor and cognitive alterations and leads to a variety of brain disorders: cerebral palsy, epilepsy, mental retardation as well as psychiatric deficits. At the same time it was established, that large percentage of children, surviving PA didn't demonstrate apparent sequelae, but mild physical and mental delay in future. With the purpose of disclose further consequences of PA on child development, we examine 20 children (6 years old) surviving mild or moderate PA without severe neurological pathology. In most cases we revealed muscle tone disturbances, physical development and growth retardation, speech pathology in the form of dyslaliya and speech delay. Intact cognitive capacities in these children combine with limited information content. Our investigation discovered, that the presence of certain psychoneurological characteristics such as hyperexcitability, irritability, timidity, aggressiveness; reduced activity, concentration and motivation -- are the consequences of survived birth trauma. These characteristics producing undue fatiguability, inattention, restlessness and diminished working-capacity, can pose additional problems in education process. In the absence of individual approach without taking into account emotional and motivational peculiarities, this category of children could not completely realize their intact cognitive capacities and represent risk group for further mild retardation.