Severe fetal brain injury without evident intrapartum asphyxia or trauma.
Two appropriate-for-dates term infants were born after uncomplicated labors and atraumatic deliveries. They were depressed at birth, developed seizures on the first day of life, and followed clinical courses compatible with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. However, the umbilical cord vessel pH and blood gases were normal. The children are now severely retarded and have cerebral palsy. These cases prove that the events of labor and delivery may not be responsible for all cases of brain damage in surviving children.
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
S M
SM
Menticoglou
F A
FA
Manning
C R
CR
Harman
I
I
Morrison
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001720:Birth Injuries; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000209:etiology*; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000209:etiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000032:analysis; D005311:Fetal Hypoxia; D005323:Fetal Monitoring; D006340:Heart Rate, Fetal; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007223:Infant; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy