Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026
The Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy Model of Perinatal Ischemia
Published on: November 19, 2008
Sleep Disorders in Infants and Toddlers with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy Treated with Therapeutic Hypothermia: A
Domenico M Romeo1,2, Chiara Arpaia1,2, Maria Rosaria Lala1,2
1Pediatric Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli, IRCCS, L.go A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Insights
Infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH) show low sleep disorder incidence, similar to controls. Some sleep issues like difficulty maintaining sleep were more common in HIE infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Sleep Medicine
- Neonatal Research
Background:
- Sleep disturbances significantly impact child development, affecting cognition, neuropsychological function, and learning.
- Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a serious condition in newborns that can have long-term effects.
- Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is a standard treatment for HIE, but its long-term effects on sleep require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of sleep disorders in infants and toddlers with HIE treated with TH.
- To compare sleep disorder data in HIE infants with a healthy control group.
- To identify specific sleep disturbances prevalent in HIE survivors.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional case-control study involving 167 infants/toddlers with HIE treated with TH and 160 controls (aged 6-36 months).
- Sleep disturbances were assessed using the Italian version of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC), completed by mothers.
- Neurocognitive assessments were conducted; specific exclusion criteria were applied to ensure a low-risk HIE cohort.
Main Results:
- A low incidence of abnormal total SDSC scores (1.8%) was observed in the HIE group.
- 10% of HIE infants had abnormal scores on at least one SDSC factor.
- While overall sleep disorder incidence was similar to controls, HIE infants showed higher scores for difficulties in maintaining sleep and sleep hyperhidrosis.
Conclusions:
- Low-risk infants and toddlers with HIE treated with TH exhibit a low incidence of sleep disorders, comparable to healthy controls.
- Specific sleep issues, including sleep-maintenance difficulties and hyperhidrosis, were more frequent in the HIE group.
- Longitudinal studies are recommended to track sleep disorder incidence as HIE survivors age, as prevalence may increase over time.
Background And Objectives:
Sleep complaints are particularly relevant in the development of children, affecting cognitive development, neuropsychological functioning, and learning abilities. The aims of this study were as follows: (i) to determine the incidence of sleep disorders in low-risk infants and toddlers with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH), using the Italian version of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC); and (ii) to compare the data with those of a healthy control group.
Materials And Methods:
This is a cross-sectional case-control study involving a total of 167 infants and toddlers (aged 6-36 months) with HIE treated with TH and 160 typically developing infants assessed using the SDSC filled out by the mother. A neurocognitive assessment was also performed. Exclusion criteria were mild perinatal asphyxia, major brain lesions, congenital malformations, severe postnatal infectious diseases, metabolic complications, cerebral palsy, neurodevelopmental impairment, and epilepsy.
Results:
In the study group, an abnormal total SDSC score was found in 1.8% of infants; 10% of infants had an abnormal score on at least one of the SDSC factors. No specific differences in the SDSC total and the factor scores were observed between the study and control group, with the exception of difficulties in maintaining sleep and sleep hyperhidrosis, with higher scores in HIE infants.
Conclusions:
Low-risk infants and toddlers with HIE showed a low incidence of sleep disorders, similar to those observed in control group, with some exceptions. As these incidences may increase significantly with age, further clinical assessments will be needed to confirm these data at older ages.
More Related Videos
05:52Early Pathological and Magnetic Resonance Detection of Cerebral Injury Using a Rat Model of Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy
Published on: October 28, 2022
05:15Author Spotlight: Assessing the Feasibility of Using Amplitude-Integrated EEG During Neonatal Transport
Published on: June 21, 2024
