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Updated: Jun 17, 2026
Amplitude-Integrated EEG in Infants at Risk of Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: A Feasibility Study in Road and Air Transport in Western Australia
Published on: June 21, 2024
The prognostic value of early aEEG in asphyxiated infants undergoing systemic hypothermia treatment
B Hallberg1, K Grossmann, M Bartocci
1Department of Neonatology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. boubou.hallberg@ki.se
Background:
Induced moderate hypothermia (HT) for 72 h has been shown to reduce the combined outcome of death or severe neurodevelopmental disabilities in asphyxiated full-term infants. A pathological amplitude integrated EEG background as early as 3-6 h after birth, has been shown to correlate to poor prognosis.
Aim:
The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between amplitude integrated EEG during HT treatment and short-term outcome in asphyxiated full-term infants with moderate/severe hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy.
Methods:
Between December 2006 and December 2007, 24 infants were treated with moderate HT (33.5 degrees C for 72 h) using a cooling mattress. Motor functions were assessed at 4 and 12 months of age.
Results:
Of the total birth cohort of 28,837 infants, 26 infants fulfilled the criteria for HT treatment (0.9/1000) of whom 23 was treated with HT and all of these infants had available amplitude integrated EEG data. Normal 1-year outcome was found in 10/15 infants with severely abnormal burst-suppression pattern or worse at 6 h of age. Severe abnormalities were found to be significantly predictive for abnormal outcome after 36 h.
Conclusion:
Among asphyxiated infants treated with HT, only those who had aEEG abnormalities persisting at and beyond 24 h after birth showed poor neurological outcome at 1 year.
