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Preterm cranial ultrasound scanning is both feasible and effective in a middle‐income country
Author(s) -
Mazmanyan Pavel A.,
Nikoghosyan Knarik V.,
Kerobyan Varsenik V.,
Mellor Kathy J.,
DiezSebastian Jesus,
MartinezBiarge Miriam,
Cowan Frances M.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.13411
Subject(s) - medicine , echogenicity , periventricular leukomalacia , echoencephalography , pediatrics , intensive care , ultrasound , obstetrics , gestational age , pregnancy , radiology , intensive care medicine , genetics , biology
Abstract Aim Cranial ultrasound is seldom used in middle‐income countries, and the burden of preterm brain injury and its relationship to perinatal data is unknown. We assessed cranial ultrasound abnormalities in very low‐birthweight ( VLBW ) infants and correlated the findings with perinatal data. Methods VLBW Armenian infants receiving neonatal intensive care in 2012 were scanned from birth to term‐equivalent age ( TEA ). Clinical data were collected prospectively. Results We studied 100 VLBW infants with a median gestation of 30 weeks. Periventricular white matter echogenicity ( PVE ) lasting more than two weeks was seen in 34 infants, grade III intraventricular haemorrhage ( IVH ) in 10, haemorrhagic parenchymal infarction ( HPI ) in seven and cystic periventricular leukomalacia in two. Caudothalamic notch echogenicity appeared in 36 infants after two to three weeks, with cystic transformation in 22. At TEA , 17 infants had persisting PVE s and 55 had increased basal ganglia/thalamic ( BGT ) echogenicity. Lack of antenatal steroids was significantly associated with IVH and HPI and intubation at birth with IVH . Late BGT echogenicity was generally seen in infants without perinatal problems. Conclusion Our study demonstrated that cranial ultrasound can be used effectively in a middle‐income country to identify high‐risk infants and monitor quality of care.