Why the term neonatal encephalopathy should be preferred over neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
The unresponsiveness of the full-term newborn is sometimes attributed to asphyxia, even when no severe physiologic disturbance occurred during labor and delivery. The controversy about whether to use the name "hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy" or "newborn encephalopathy" has recently flared in publications directed toward pediatricians and neurologists. In this clinic opinion piece, I discuss the importance to obstetricians of this decision and explain why "newborn encephalopathy" should be the default term.
Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Alan
A
Leviton
D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000175:diagnosis; D065768:Lennox Gastaut Syndrome; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013036:Spasms, Infantile / Q000175:diagnosis; D009626:Terminology as Topic