Perinatal injury of the central nervous system in Lithuania from 1997 to 2014.

Background: Perinatal CNS injuries are significant for the health of neonates and for child development at a later period. The aim of this study was to evaluate the dynamics of the frequency of perinatal CNS lesions (corresponding to ICD 10 code P91) over a 20-year period, using the data collected from the Lithuanian Medical Data of Births (Registry of Births).

Material And Methods: In total, data of 559,164 newborns were analyzed.

Results: During the period from 1997 to 2014, the frequency of term newborns with perinatal CNS injury decreased almost two times, from 20.4/1000 live births in 1997 to 15.5/1000 live births in 2014, or from 3.12% (95% CI 2.95; 3.31) to 1.46% (95% CI 1.32; 1.61). In 18 years, the rate of infant mortality from perinatal CNS injury decreased by more than four times and in 2014 it was 0.3/1000 births; it accounts for 11% of neonatal mortality (2.6/1000 live births). The largest decrease of CNS injury was seen after a caesarean birth (from 13.7% in 1999 to 1.7% in 2014) and breech delivery (from 9.7% in 1999 to 0.8% in 2014). Analysis of the dynamics of perinatal CNS injury in preterm births in selected groups did not identify a significant positive shift during the period. When evaluating the level of childbirth services in different-level maternity hospitals, CNS injury is undoubtedly diminished in 2B-level maternity hospitals (regional). Also, positive dynamics was observed in the data of 2A-level maternity hospitals, while in 3-level maternity hospitals (university hospitals), which deal with the most complicated obstetrical pathology and preterm newborns, positive dynamics was not observed. It is estimated that the frequency of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy was 0.63/1000 live births in Lithuania in 1993.

Conclusions: The frequency of perinatal CNS injury and its positive dynamics in over 18 years shows a progressive and scientifically-based perinatal health care organization in Lithuania.