61 - Brain Injury in the Term Infant

Abstract

Brain injury in term neonates can be associated with devasting consequences, including severe losng-term neurodevelopmental impairments and death. Neonates with brain injury may present with clinical abnormalities immediately after birth or within the first few weeks of age. Presenting findings may be subtle or obvious, ranging from jaundice and poor feeding to seizures, encephalopathy, respiratory failure, and shock. Magnetic resonance imaging techniques have improved diagnostic and prognostic capabilities for numerous types of brain injury in neonates. Survivors of neonatal brain injury often are at significant risk for moderate to severe long-term disabilities, including problems with language, motor function, hearing, vision, cognition, and epilepsy. A variety of causes may lead to neonatal brain injury. Worldwide, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is the leading cause of neonatal brain injury and neonatal mortality, responsible for approximately 1 in 5 of all neonatal deaths. Bacterial and viral pathogens continue to cause devastating brain injury in the newborn period. As survival of neonates with congenital heart disease has improved, awareness of the increased risk of brain injury, including perinatal arterial ischemic stroke and cerebral sinus venous thrombosis, in these neonates has been recognized. Inborn errors of metabolism and severe hyperbilirubinemia are also important etiologies of brain injury in neonates.