Clinical and laboratory study of premature infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

We conducted a comprehensive clinical and laboratory study of 102 preterm infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) of varying gestational ages. All preterm infants were born to mothers with a complicated obstetric history. Clinical manifestation of CNS hypoxic-ischemic injury was observed in 100% of this cohort. Intracranial hemorrhages (ICH) of grades I-IV were registered in 38 (37.2%) cases, while periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) was present in 5 (4.9%) cases. Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) was observed in 36 (35.3%) cases, and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in 65 (63.7%) cases. Mild cerebral ischemia was diagnosed in 51 (50%) cases, moderate-severity cases in 32 (31.4%) cases, and severe CI in 19 (18.6%) preterm infants.

The severity of clinical progression of HIE in preterm infants was shown to be dependent on gestational age, intrauterine hypoxia, and birth asphyxia. The health status of their mothers plays a crucial role in the development of CNS and other systemic injuries in preterm infants. Therefore, premature births remain a pertinent issue in modern society.