Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 12, 2025
Early Pathological and Magnetic Resonance Detection of Cerebral Injury Using a Rat Model of Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy
Published on: October 28, 2022
Early Biomarkers and Hearing Impairments in Patients with Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy
Da-Yang Chen1, Inn-Chi Lee2,3, Xing-An Wang4
1Department of Pediatrics, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40201, Taiwan.
Insights
Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) significantly increases the risk of hearing impairments (HIs). Clinical staging, lactate, and glucose levels in newborns with HIE can predict HI development, enabling early intervention.
Area of Science:
- Neonatalogy
- Audiology
- Neurology
Background:
- Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a serious condition that can lead to long-term complications.
- Hearing impairments (HIs) are a potential consequence of HIE, necessitating early detection and intervention.
- Identifying predictive biomarkers for HIs in HIE patients is crucial for timely hearing habilitation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify predictive biomarkers for hearing impairments (HIs) in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).
- To analyze the risk factors associated with HIs in HIE patients.
- To compare the prevalence of HIs in HIE patients versus the general newborn population.
Main Methods:
- Seventy-eight neonates with HIE were divided into groups with and without HIs.
- Comparison with a control group of 11,837 newborns without HIE.
- Analysis of clinical staging, blood lactate, and serum glucose levels as potential predictive factors.
Main Results:
- HIE patients had a significantly higher prevalence of HIs (14.1%) compared to controls (0.87%).
- Moderate-to-severe HIE and stage III HIE were associated with a higher incidence of HIs.
- Elevated lactate and glucose levels were significantly correlated with the presence of HIs in HIE patients.
Conclusions:
- Clinical staging, blood lactate, and glucose levels are significant predictive factors for HIs in neonates with HIE.
- Early identification of HIs in HIE patients is possible through these biomarkers.
- These findings support the initiation of early hearing habilitation for at-risk neonates.
Abstract:
Identifying biomarkers for hearing impairments (HIs) in patients with neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), to initialize early hearing habilitation, is crucial. Seventy-eight neonates with HIE were divided into the following two groups: those with HIs and those without HIs. We compared those patients with 11,837 newborns without HIE, and analyzed the risk factors of HIs among neonatal HIE. Of the 78 patients, 11 were confirmed to have an HI, which is a substantially higher percentage than in the 11,837 newborns without HIE (14.1% vs. 0.87%; p < 0.001). More patients with moderate-to-severe HIE had confirmed HIs (p = 0.020; odds ratio, 8.61) than those with mild HIE. Clinical staging, and blood lactate and glucose levels could be predictive factors for HIs among patients with HIE. The patients who exhibited HIs had significantly higher lactate (104.8 ± 51.0 vs. 71.4 ± 48.4; U = 181, p = 0.032) and serum glucose (159.5 ± 86.1 vs. 112.1 ± 62.3; U = 166, p = 0.036) levels than those without HIs. A higher prevalence of HIs was noted in the patients with stage III HIE than those with stage II HIE (43.8% vs. 10%; p = 0.008). The degree of HI correlated with brain anomalies and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 1 year of age. Clinical staging, and blood lactate and glucose levels could be predictive factors for HIs among patients with HIE.
