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[Prognosis after perinatal asphyxia in full-term infants. A literature review]
Insights
This review of term infants born after intrapartum hypoxia-ischaemia found that 52% had no sequelae, but 14% died. Outcome severity is linked to hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal neurology
- Perinatal medicine
- Pediatric neurology
Context:
- Intrapartum hypoxia-ischaemia affects term infants.
- Long-term outcomes require systematic study.
- Literature review covers 30 years of research.
Purpose:
- To systematically review outcomes for term infants following intrapartum hypoxia-ischaemia.
- To analyze the frequency of sequelae and handicaps.
- To correlate outcomes with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy severity.
Summary:
- A review of 1042 term infants found 52% had no sequelae, 8% developmental delay, 4% single handicap, 11% multiple handicaps, and 14% mortality.
- Single handicaps were more frequent than in control or population studies.
- Developmental delay frequency was comparable to controls.
- Infant outcome is closely related to the severity of newborn hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy.
Impact:
- Highlights the significant burden of long-term disability and mortality from intrapartum hypoxia-ischaemia.
- Informs clinical management and prognosis for affected newborns.
- Emphasizes the critical role of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy severity in determining infant outcomes.
Abstract:
Reviewing the literature published during the last 30 years we found comparable systematic studies of outcome for 1042 term infants born alive after likely intrapartum hypoxia-ischaemia. Fifty-two percent had no sequelae, 8% had developmental delay without associated handicaps, 4% had a single handicap, 11% were multihandicapped and 14% were dead as a consequence of the intrapartum hypoxia-ischaemia. The frequency of single handicaps exceeded the frequency found among the controls and in population studies. The frequency of children with developmental delay did not differ from that found among the controls. Outcome is closely related to the severity of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy in the newborn.