Abstract
A total of 53 babies, 37 to 44 weeks' gestational age with a history of fetal distress in labour, and severe neurological abnormalities in the early newborn period, were followed up for between 2 and 5 years. Their progress was compared with an equal number of normal babies matched for gestational age, birthweight, sex, and social class, but without a history of fetal distress or delay in establishing spontaneous respiration at birth. In the set of babies with a history of fetal distress no perinatal condition was identified that could predict with certainty the type of neurological status in the newborn period, or the occurrence of neurological abnormality in later childhood. Follow-up disclosed a considerable improvement in function in most of the apparently brain-injured babies. It is suggested that such babies exhibiting apathy initially but subsequently hyperexcitability and extensor hypertonia carry the worst prognosis.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Brown J. K., Purvis R. J., Forfar J. O., Cockburn F. Neurological aspects of perinatal asphyxia. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1974 Oct;16(5):567–580. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1974.tb04176.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- De Souza S. W., Davis J. A. Spinal cord damage in a newborn infant. Arch Dis Child. 1974 Jan;49(1):70–71. doi: 10.1136/adc.49.1.70. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- De Souza S. W., John R. W., Richards B., Milner R. D. Fetal distress and birth scores in newborn infants. Arch Dis Child. 1975 Dec;50(12):920–926. doi: 10.1136/adc.50.12.920. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- FRASER M. S., WILKS J. The residual effects of neonatal asphyxia. J Obstet Gynaecol Br Emp. 1959 Oct;66:748–752. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1959.tb01920.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Milner R. D., Richards B. An analysis of birth weight by gestational age of infants born in England and Wales, 1967 to 1971. J Obstet Gynaecol Br Commonw. 1974 Dec;81(12):956–967. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1974.tb00414.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Scott H. Outcome of very severe birth asphyxia. Arch Dis Child. 1976 Sep;51(9):712–716. doi: 10.1136/adc.51.9.712. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Steiner H., Neligan G. Perinatal cardiac arrest. Quality of the survivors. Arch Dis Child. 1975 Sep;50(9):696–702. doi: 10.1136/adc.50.9.696. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Thomson A. J., Searle M., Russell G. Quality of survival after severe birth asphyxia. Arch Dis Child. 1977 Aug;52(8):620–626. doi: 10.1136/adc.52.8.620. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- WESTROPP C. K., BARBER C. R. Growth of the skull in young children. I. Standards of head circumference. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1956 Feb;19(1):52–54. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.19.1.52. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- YATES P. O. Birth trauma to the vertebral arteries. Arch Dis Child. 1959 Oct;34:436–441. doi: 10.1136/adc.34.177.436. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]