Maternal & fetal risk factors for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in newborns

Abstract

Introduction- Perinatal hypoxia leading to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a leading cause of neonatal and under 5 mortality across the world and in India. There are wide regional and social variations in the risk factors associated with HIE and this study was conducted to assess the maternal & fetal risk factors in newborns with moderate to severe HIE. Methodology- This was a case-control study at the SNCU of MKCG Medical College and Hospital in southern Odisha where 100 cases of HIE and 100 matched controls were recruited over a period of 2 years. Data on maternal, antenatal, intrapartum, and post-delivery risk factors were collected from medical records and history taking using a pre-defined proforma. Comparative bivariate analysis was done to assess the strength of association of these risk factors between the two groups. Results- The incidence of HIE is more in 20-30 years age group, however, risk of HIE is significant in <20 years age group. Maternal anemia is a significant risk factor but Bad Obstetric History (BOH) has only clinical correlation. There is no statistical significance for antepartum hemorrhage (APH), pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in cases of HIE.