Childhood Outcomes After Hypothermia for Neonatal Encephalopathy

摘要

The authors of this study in a previously published randomized controlled trial reported that whole-body hypothermia of neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy initiated within 6 hours of birth was associated with significant reductions in the rate of combined outcome of death or moderate or severe disability at 18 to 22 months of age. Until now, long-term data on outcomes beyond 2 years have not been available.This study was designed to determine whether benefits of hypothermia for neonatal encephalopathy persist after 2 years of age. In the earlier trial, 208 infants with moderate or severe encephalopathy had been randomized to receive usual care (the control group, n = 106) or undergo whole-body cooling to an esophageal temperature of 33.5°C for 72 hours, followed by slow rewarming (the hypothermia group, n = 102). In the present study, outcomes evaluated in the surviving children at 6 to 7 years of age included cognitive, attention, and executive and visuospatial function, as well as neurologic outcomes and physical and psychosocial health. The primary study outcome was death or an IQ score less than 70.