Postnatal Maturation of Amplitude Integrated Electroencephalogram in Preterm SGA and Preterm AGA Neonates: A Prospective Observational Study

Abstract

Introduction: Maturation of the brain is affected by various biological and environmental factors encountered by the infant during the intensive care period in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) due to the medical treatments, procedures, and the noisy environment that disrupts the normal brain development process. Severe neurological sequelae of preterm infants are common because of the immature central nervous system. Cerebral Function Monitor (CFM) or Amplitude integrated Electroencephalogram (a-EEG) is a device for monitoring the background neurological activity. Aim: To assess postnatal maturation of a-EEG in clinically stable and neurologically normal preterm Small for Gestational Age (SGA) and preterm Appropriate for Gestational Age (AGA) neonates from 30 weeks 0/7 days to 34 weeks 6/7 days of gestation admitted in a tertiary care NICU at J. K. Lon Mother and Child Hospital, attached to Government Medical College, Kota. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted over a one year duration, from January 2020 to December 2020 on 60 preterm neonates that were admitted in NICU of a tertiary care hospital. The serial a-EEG recording was done on haemodynamically stable, included preterm neonates after taking consent, on 3rd, 7th, and 14th postnatal day of life during the course of admission. The postnatal maturation of amplitude integrated EEG of Preterm Small for Gestational Age (PSGA) neonates was compared with their Preterm Appropriate for Gestational Age (PAGA) neonates based on a validated a-EEG scoring. The analysis was done by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0. Student t-test was applied. Results: The total a-EEG scores for 3rd, 7th, and 14th day of SGA group neonates were 7.55±1.45, 7.25±1.02 and 10.22±1.05 and were delayed from the AGA group of neonates with 7.86±1.55, 8.68±1.00 and 10.62±1.01, with mean difference (95% CI), 0.30 (-0.49 to 1.13), 1.43 (0.88 to 1.97) and 0.39 (-0.15 to 0.95) respectively. Only the total a-EEG scores for day 7 were significantly delayed in SGA group. Conclusion: All the maturation a-EEG scores of clinically stable and neurologically normal PSGA neonates was found to be significantly delayed at any point of life on postnatal day 7th of life.