Newborn brain infarction: clinical aspects and magnetic resonance imaging.

Objective: We describe the clinical and imaging studies of 11 full-term babies with neonatal stroke. We classify the neonatal non-hemorrhagic strokes as thrombotic, embolic, or global vascular insufficiency and determine if this classification is improved by adding magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA).

Methods: Clinically, eight of the 11 babies presented with seizures, one with apnea, and two with lethargy.

Neonatal outcome of infants born at 500 to 800 grams from 1990 through 1998 in a tertiary care center.

Objective: To assess if there have been changes in survival, demographic data, obstetric features, neonatal morbidity, and short-term neurologic/radiographic/neurosensory outcome of 500- to 800-g infants born in a tertiary care neonatal center from 1990 through 1998.

Study Design: Records of all 500- to 800-g infants born at North Shore University Hospital during 1990-1998 were reviewed to determine demographic data, survival by weight and gestational age (GA), obstetric features, neonatal morbidity, and short-term neurologic/radiographic/neurosensory outcome. Newborn infants were grouped into three triennia: 1990-1992, 1993-1995, and 1996-1998 and compared across time.

Correlation of basal ganglia magnetic resonance spectroscopy with Apgar score in perinatal asphyxia.

Background: Brain metabolite levels are measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) and include N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr), choline (Cho), and lactate and the ratios NAA to Cho and Cr (NAA-ChoCr), NAA-Cr, NAA-Cho, and Cho-Cr. Brain metabolite levels may correlate with the degree of neonatal asphyxia.

Objective: To determine which brain metabolite ratios have the strongest correlation with the Apgar scores in infants with possible asphyxia; whether the correlation is stronger with basal ganglia (BG) or anterior border-zone metabolites; and whether a combined approach using routine MR imaging (MRI), diffusion-weighted MRI, and MRS can be used to evaluate the severity of neonatal asphyxia.

A multicenter randomized, masked comparison trial of natural versus synthetic surfactant for the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome.

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of two surfactant preparations in the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).

Methods: We conducted a randomized, masked comparison trial at 21 centers. Infants with RDS who were undergoing mechanical ventilation were eligible for treatment with two doses of either a synthetic (Exosurf) or natural (Infasurf) surfactant if the ratio of arterial to alveolar partial pressure of oxygen was less than or equal to 0.

Preterm very-low-birth-weight neonates: relationship of EEG to intracranial hemorrhage, perinatal complications, and developmental outcome.

EEGs were performed on 102 preterm low-birth-weight neonates within the first 7 days of life. Babies were later separated into those without intracranial hemorrhage, those who had only subependymal hemorrhage (SEH), and those with intraventricular/intracerebral hemorrhage. The incidence and types of EEG abnormalities, 42% overall and including positive rolandic sharp waves, did not differ in the three groups.