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Updated: Jul 5, 2025
Biochemical Measurement of Neonatal Hypoxia
Published on: August 24, 2011
Biochemical profiles and organ dysfunction in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy post-hoc analysis of the
Karen Haugvik Francke1, Ragnhild Støen2,3, Niranjan Thomas4,5
1Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway. karenhf@stud.ntnu.no.
Insights
Therapeutic hypothermia is safe for infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in India. Cooled infants showed better renal function, though with slightly lower pH, indicating potential benefits in low-resource settings.
Area of Science:
- Neonatalogy
- Pediatric Intensive Care
- Neurology
Background:
- Therapeutic hypothermia is standard care for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in high-income countries.
- Contradictory trial results from low- and middle-income countries suggest varying intensive care levels may influence outcomes.
- This study evaluated biochemical profiles and organ dysfunction markers in cooled vs. non-cooled infants with moderate/severe HIE.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the safety and efficacy of therapeutic hypothermia in Indian infants with moderate to severe HIE.
- To compare biochemical profiles and clinical markers of organ dysfunction between cooled and non-cooled infants.
- To inform the implementation of neuroprotective treatments in resource-limited settings.
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of the THIN (Therapeutic Hypothermia in India) randomized controlled trial.
- Included 50 infants with moderate to severe HIE, randomized to therapeutic hypothermia (n=25) or normothermia (n=25).
- Compared metabolic acidosis, coagulopathies, renal function, and supportive treatments between groups.
Main Results:
- Cooled infants had significantly lower pH at 6-12h and 12-24h.
- Thrombocytopenia was more common in cooled infants, though not statistically significant.
- Cooled infants exhibited significantly better urine output (less oliguria) in the first 24 hours.
Conclusions:
- Therapeutic hypothermia appears safe for infants with HIE in a Level III NICU in India.
- Cooling was associated with improved renal function in the initial 24 hours post-birth.
- Further research is needed to determine optimal intensive care support for hypothermia in low-resource settings.
Background:
Therapeutic hypothermia for infants with moderate to severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is well established as standard of care in high-income countries. Trials from low- and middle-income countries have shown contradictory results, and variations in the level of intensive care provided may partly explain these differences. We wished to evaluate biochemical profiles and clinical markers of organ dysfunction in cooled and non-cooled infants with moderate/severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
Methods:
This secondary analysis of the THIN (Therapeutic Hypothermia in India) study, a single center randomized controlled trial, included 50 infants with moderate to severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy randomized to therapeutic hypothermia (n = 25) or standard care with normothermia (n = 25) between September 2013 and October 2015. Data were collected prospectively and compared by randomization groups. Main outcomes were metabolic acidosis, coagulopathies, renal function, and supportive treatments during the intervention.
Results:
Cooled infants had lower pH than non-cooled infants at 6-12 h (median (IQR) 7.28 (7.20-7.32) vs 7.36 (7.31-7.40), respectively, p = 0.003) and 12-24 h (median (IQR) 7.30 (7.24-7.35) vs 7.41 (7.37-7.43), respectively, p < 0.001). Thrombocytopenia (< 100 000) was, though not statistically significant, twice as common in cooled compared to non-cooled infants (4/25 (16%) and 2/25 (8%), respectively, p = 0.67). No significant difference was found in the use of vasopressors (14/25 (56%) and 17/25 (68%), p = 0.38), intravenous bicarbonate (5/25 (20%) and 3/25 (12%), p = 0.70) or treatment with fresh frozen plasma (10/25 (40%) and 8/25 (32%), p = 0.56)) in cooled and non-cooled infants, respectively. Urine output < 1 ml/kg/h was less common in cooled infants compared to non-cooled infants at 0-24 h (7/25 (28%) vs. 16/23 (70%) respectively, p = 0.004).
Conclusions:
This post hoc analysis of the THIN study support that cooling of infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in a level III neonatal intensive care unit in India was safe. Cooled infants had slightly lower pH, but better renal function during the first day compared to non-cooled infants. More research is needed to identify the necessary level of intensive care during cooling to guide further implementation of this neuroprotective treatment in low-resource settings.
Trial Registration:
Data from this article was collected during the THIN-study (Therapeutic Hypothermia in India; ref. CTRI/2013/05/003693 Clinical Trials Registry - India).
