Trends of Neonatal Hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors in the United States, 2010-2018

Abstract

(Am J Obstet Gynecol 2022;227:751e1–10) Incidence of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is 1 to 3 in 1000 live births in developed countries, and ~10 times higher in resource-limited countries, making it one of the most common causes of infant morbidity and mortality. The overall mortality rate for HIE is 15% to 25%, and 40% to 50% of infants that survive develop long-term neurological disabilities. Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is currently the only effective treatment for infants with moderate to severe HIE shortly after birth, but up to 29% continue to experience poor outcomes related to HIE. Trends of HIE and its treatment, TH, have not been studied carefully at different gestational ages in the United States. Thus, the purpose of this study was to analyze trends of HIE prevalence, use of TH, mortality associated with HIE, and HIE-associated confounding variables in a US national dataset.