title: Neonatal cerebral oxygenation is not linked to foetal vasculitis and predicts intraventricular haemorrhage in preterm infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to compare the cerebral tissue oxygenation index (c-TOI) measured by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in infants with and without foetal vasculitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four infants with placental signs of a foetal inflammatory response (FIR), foetal vasculitis, were compared with 39 controls. NIRS examination was done within the first 24 h.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Infants with FIR had a significant lower gestational age (26.8 +/- 2.4 vs. 29.8 +/- 2.4 weeks' gestation; p < 0.01), Hb (9.4 +/- 1.2 vs. 10.9 +/- 1.5 mM; p < 0.01) and blood P(CO2) (5.5 +/- 0.8 vs. 6.3 +/- 1.1 kPa, p < 0.01) compared to controls. There was no significant difference in arterial blood pressure, inspiratory oxygen content, needs of mechanical ventilation or c-TOI (73.6 +/- 8.1% vs. 73.9 +/- 8.1% (p = 0.9)). The effect of FIR on c-TOI was -0.3% (95% CI -3.9 to 4.5%). This result was not affected by inclusion of potential confounders in the analysis. Eight infants subsequently developed intra/periventricular haemorrhage: four with minor lesions and four with severe lesions. There was a significant negative correlation between the severity of the intraventricular haemorrhage and the cerebral oxygenation (p = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cerebral oxygenation was not affected in the first day of life in preterm infants born with foetal vasculitis, while cerebral oxygenation in infants that later developed intraventricular haemorrhage was impaired.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Neonatology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark. lcs@dadlnet.dk
authors.forename: Line C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Sorensen
authors.forename: Lisa L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Maroun
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Borch
authors.forename: Hans C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lou
authors.forename: Gorm
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Greisen
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D054022:Cerebrum / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000502:physiology*; D010920:Placenta / Q000473:pathology; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen