Traumatic brain lesions in newborns Lesões cerebrais traumaticas em recém nascidos

During birth the infant’s head is exposed to contractions of the uterine muscles and to intra-abdominal pressure1. These mechanical influences are the cause of transient physiological or enduring pathological changes to the skull. The skull deformities differ according to the size of the pelvic opening2. The neonatal period is a highly vulnerable time for an infant. The high neonatal morbidity and mortality rates attest to the fragility of life during this period. Some of the special problems in newborn infants are related to the adverse effects of delivery. Mechanisms that can cause birth trauma are mechanical (compressive and traction forces) or hypoxicischemic. The most important risk factors for birth trauma include: instrument delivery (e.g. midforceps or vacuum extraction), primiparity, cephalopelvic disproportion, birth weight more than 4 kg or less than 2.5 kg, oligohydramnios, prolonged delivery, prolonged or unusually rapid labor, maternal pelvic anomalies, fetus malformations, abnormal presentations such as breech presentation, and prematurity. The incidence of birth trauma has been assessed in most countries and is estimated at two to seven per 1,000 live births in the world. The incidence of birth trauma is 0.82%; prevalence 9.5 per 1,000 livebirths3. The aim of this study is to describe the mechanisms of neonatal brain trauma, and the different consequences to the brain.