Low Cerebral Oxygenation in Preterm Infants Is Associated with Adverse Neurodevelopmental Outcome.

Objective: To assess whether high and low levels of cerebral oxygenation (regional cerebral oxygenation [rScO]) in infants born at <32 weeks of gestation were associated with adverse long-term outcome.

Study Design: Observational cohort study including preterm infants born at <32 weeks of gestation at the Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, The Netherlands, between April 2006 and April 2013. The rScO was continuously monitored for 72 hours after birth using near-infrared spectroscopy. Outcome was assessed at 15 and 24 months of corrected age by certified investigators. An unfavorable composite outcome was defined as an outcome score below -1 SD or death. Various rScO thresholds were explored.

Results: In total, 734 infants were eligible for analysis, 60 of whom died. Associations with an unfavorable cognitive outcome in multivariable analysis were comparable for time spent with a rScO below 55% and -1.5 SD (according to published reference values), with an OR of 1.4 (CI 1.1-1.7) for 20% of time below either threshold. Results at 15 months were comparable with results at 24 months. Results were not statistically significant for thresholds defining high values of rScO. The composite motor outcome was not significantly related to either low or high values or rScO.

Conclusions: Low, but not high, rScO was associated with an unfavorable cognitive outcome. This suggests the use of a threshold of rScO <55% for future clinical studies when using adult near-infrared sensors (rScO <65% for neonatal sensors, approximately).