Late outcome following neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

Abstract

Finding early biomarkers that can predict the late outcome of neonates who suffer a perinatal hypoxic-ischemic insult has been the subject of numerous studies over the last decade. In this issue of The Journal, Shankaran et al report the ability of a low-cost, low-tech biomarker—the serial neurologic examination—to predict long term outcomes in term infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). The authors performed careful neurologic exams on infants enrolled in the NICHD trial of whole body hypothermia, during the first 72 hours and at neonatal discharge, and examined the ability of the neurologic exams to predict the primary outcome of death or disability at 18 months of age.