A Case of an Infant with Hydrops Fetalis and Hypoxic–Ischemic Encephalopathy Treated with Therapeutic Hypothermia

Abstract

Hydrops fetalis (HF) is a serious fetal condition. Infants born with HF are often critically unwell, requiring resuscitation and prolonged intensive care admission. Despite medical advances, morbidity and mortality remain high. Therapeutic hypothermia is the standard of care for term and late preterm infants with moderate-to-severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), as it improves neurodevelopmental outcomes in surviving infants. To our knowledge, the use of therapeutic hypothermia has not previously been reported in infants with HF. We report the case of a term infant with undiagnosed HF, who required resuscitation and received 72 hours of therapeutic hypothermia for moderate HIE. We describe the cardiovascular instability encountered during therapeutic hypothermia and how it was successfully managed. She responded well to treatment and was discharged home bottle-feeding, with normal neurology and a normal brain magnetic resonance imaging scan. From this case, therapeutic hypothermia in infants with HF and HIE is feasible and can be beneficial in carefully selected HF infants meeting cooling criteria.