Mild whole body hypothermia following birth asphyxia

Therapeutic hypothermia following perinatal asphyxia.

Well constructed and carefully analysed trials of hypothermic neural rescue therapy for infants with neonatal encephalopathy have recently been reported. The data suggest that either selective head cooling or total body cooling reduces the combined chance of death or disability after birth asphyxia. However, as there are still unanswered questions about these treatments, many may still feel tha...

Drugs for neuroprotection after birth asphyxia: Pharmacologic adjuncts to hypothermia.

An adverse outcome is still encountered in 45% of full-term neonates with perinatal asphyxia who are treated with moderate hypothermia. At present pharmacologic therapies are developed to be added to hypothermia. In the present article, these potential neuroprotective interventions are described based on the molecular pathways set in motion during fetal hypoxia and following reoxygenation and r...

Subcutaneous fat necrosis as a complication of whole-body cooling for birth asphyxia.

BACKGROUND Subcutaneous fat necrosis (SCFN) of the newborn is a form of panniculitis that affects full-term neonates who often have suffered either birth asphyxia or hypothermia. The induction of hypothermia in newborns is becoming frequently used to reduce the neurologic sequelae associated with birth asphyxia. The risk of SCFN in neonates undergoing this therapy is unknown. Observation We des...

Birth asphyxia.

Therapeutic hypothermia in neonatal asphyxia

Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy is a serious condition affecting newborn infants which can result in death and disability. There is now strong clinical evidence that moderate post-asphyxial total body cooling or hypothermia in full term neonates results in long-term neuroprotection, allowing us to proclaim this innovative therapy as "standard of care." The treatment is a time-critical emergency...