Hypoxaemic-ischaemic
encephalopathy is the most frequent cause of neurological morbidity in infancy (Volpe 2008). Hypoxaemic
events are characterised by a
decrease of the pO2
and
pH and a simultaneous increase of the pCO2. Hypoxic
and
ischaemic
events may cause a simultaneous decrease of the blood pressure. Brain perfusion
may therefore drop under a critical limit (Volpe2008).
Asphyctic
events may cause death of nervous cells and lead to cytotoxic brain oedema.
Brain oedema on
the other hand can cause additional death of nervous cells (Volpe 2008).
As the brain is extremely
susceptible to suffer from a fall of oxygen and brain
perfusion, sonographic evaluation of the brains of neonates with asphyxial
events has to be performed.
Especially
the
watershed regions of the vascular supply to the brain are damaged most
severely.
Due to the different
vascular supply of the brain of preterm and term infants, different forms of
damage have to be differentiated: In preterm infants periventricular leucomalacia
occurs. In term babies the parasagittal region and the basal ganglia are
primarily injured.
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