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Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy among Asphyxiated Nigeran Newborns


OB Ogunfowora
TA Ogunlesi

Abstract

To compare the clinical presentation and immediate outcome of Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy among hospitalized asphyxiated newborns. Babies hospitalised with birth asphyxia in a Nigerian tertiary hospital were prospectively studied uding bivariate analysis. of 114 babies hospitalized with birth asphyxia, 41 (31.5%) had HIE. Most of the affected babies had Grade II HIE (75.6%) and were out-born (80.5%). A significantly higher proportion of the babies with HIE had seizures (P<0.001) and abnormal neurological features at the end of the first week of admission (P<0.001). The Case Fatality Rate among babies with HIE was 39.0% compared to 25.0% among those without HIE. Death occured among 25% of in-born encephalopathic babies compared to 43.8% of out-born. HIE was more severe and mortality higher among out-born babies. Prompt institution of care for asphyxiated babies may reduce HIE-related morbidities and mortality.

Keywords: Asphyxia, Encephalopathy, Neurodevelopmental outcome, Newborn, Seizure.


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