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Archives of Disease in Childhood. Fetal and Neonatal Edition logoLink to Archives of Disease in Childhood. Fetal and Neonatal Edition
. 2002 Nov;87(3):F189–F192. doi: 10.1136/fn.87.3.F189

Cerebral tissue oxygenation index in very premature infants

G Naulaers, G Morren, S Van Huffel, P Casaer, H Devlieger
PMCID: PMC1721471  PMID: 12390989

Abstract

Aim: To describe normal values of the cerebral tissue oxygenation index (TOI) in premature infants.

Methods: TOI was measured by spatially resolved spectroscopy in preterm infants on the first 3 days of life. Infants with an abnormal cranial ultrasound were excluded. Other simultaneously measured variables were PaO2, PaCO2, pH, mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, haemoglobin, glycaemia, and peripheral oxygen saturation.

Results: Fifteen patients with a median postmenstrual age of 28 weeks were measured. There was a significant increase in median TOI over the first 3 days of life: 57% on day 1, 66.1% on day 2, and 76.1% on day 3. Multiple regression analysis showed no correlation between TOI and postmenstrual age, peripheral oxygen saturation, mean arterial blood pressure, PaO2, PaCO2, and haemoglobin concentration.

Conclusion: Cerebral TOI increases significantly in the first 3 days of life in premature babies. This increase probably reflects the increase in cerebral blood flow at this time.

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Figure 1 .

Figure 1

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Box and whisker plot showing the median and interquartile range for the tissue oxygenation index (%) measured on days 1, 2, and 3. The increase from day 1 to day 2 and from day 1 to day 3 was significant (p<0.05).

Selected References

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