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Updated: Jun 18, 2026
Non-invasive Optical Measurement of Cerebral Metabolism and Hemodynamics in Infants
Published on: March 14, 2013
[Dynamic changes in regional cerebral oxygen saturation variability within the first week after birth and
Xin Wang1, Jin-Bo Chu1, Man Lu1
1Department of Neonatology, Cangzhou People's Hospital, Cangzhou, Hebei 061000, China (Email: 13832775576@163. com).
Insights
Regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO₂) variability in preterm infants shows a biphasic pattern in the first week after birth. Early rScO₂ variability metrics can help identify brain injuries in neonates.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal neurology
- Cerebral hemodynamics
- Neurocritical care
Objectives:
To investigate the dynamic changes in regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO2) variability within the first week after birth in preterm infants and its relationship with different types of brain injury.
Methods:
A retrospective study included 70 preterm infants with a gestational age of 28-32 weeks admitted to Cangzhou People's Hospital from August 2021 to June 2025. All infants underwent continuous near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) monitoring of rScO₂ within the first 7 days after birth. Based on cranial ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging findings, infants were divided into intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) group (n=23), periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) group (n=18), hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) group (n=11), and control group (n=18). The coefficient of variation (CV), slope, peak, and trough values of rScO2 were calculated across different time windows, and their correlations with brain injury type and severity were analyzed.
Results:
Within the first 7 days after birth, rScO2 CV showed a biphasic pattern characterized by an initial increase, followed by a decrease, then a second increase and decrease. The first high-variability period occurred at 0 to <24 hours, and the second at 72 to <120 hours. The CV at 6 hours after birth was positively correlated with brain injury severity (rs=0.72, P<0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for diagnosing brain injury using 6-hour CV was 0.862 (P<0.05). A combined predictive model incorporating CV values at 6, 24, and 72 hours achieved an AUC of 0.924 (P<0.05).
Conclusions:
The variability of rScO2 within the first week after birth in preterm infants exhibits a biphasic fluctuation pattern. Different brain injury types show characteristic variability patterns, and early CV values can serve as sensitive indicators for early identification of brain injury.
