title: Less severe cerebral palsy outcomes in infants treated with therapeutic hypothermia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the incidence, type and severity of cerebral palsy at 24 months in a regional cohort of infants treated with whole-body therapeutic hypothermia for neonatal encephalopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected prospectively in a regional centre providing TH. Antenatal and perinatal clinical variables and severity of encephalopathy were collected. Infants were assessed at 18 months using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-III, and the presence and severity of CP was investigated at 24 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 125 of 132 infants fulfilled entry criteria for TH trials and completed 72 h of TH. Sixteen (13%) of the 125 infants died, and eight (6%) were not available for follow-up. Eighteen infants (14%; 18% of those assessed) developed CP. Of these, 12 (67%) were classified using the Gross Motor Function Classification System, at level 1, six (33%) at level 5 and none at levels 2, 3 or 4.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our regional clinical cohort had lower mortality and comparable rates of CP compared with historical outcomes in TH trials. In contrast to historical cohorts, only one-third of the 18 children with CP were severely affected and 12 were mildly affected, all of whom were independently ambulant by 24 months.
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Neuroscience, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Level D, St Michaels Hospital, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jary
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Neuroscience, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Level D, St Michaels Hospital, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Smit
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Neuroscience, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Level D, St Michaels Hospital, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Xun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Neuroscience, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Level D, St Michaels Hospital, Bristol, UK.|Department of Paediatrics and Neonatal Medicine, Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Frances M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Cowan
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Neuroscience, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Level D, St Michaels Hospital, Bristol, UK.|Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thoresen
mesh_terms: D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Cerebral palsy; Developmental outcome; Hypothermia; Neonatal encephalopathy