Blood pressure and aEEG in the 96h after birth and correlations with neurodevelopmental outcome in extremely preterm infants.

BACKGROUND: The management of hypotension immediately after the birth of preterm infants is controversial.

AIM: To investigate the relationship between blood pressure (BP), amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG), and neurodevelopmental outcome in extremely preterm infants.

METHODS: BP and aEEG were monitored for 96h after birth in 36 infants born at <27weeks gestation. aEEG data were analyzed with Burdjalov scores. Correlations of aEEG findings with BP and several clinical characteristics, including the Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology, Perinatal Extension-II (SNAPPE-II) were explored. A subgroup analysis of BP, aEEG activity, and neurodevelopmental outcome at 18-22months corrected age was also performed. Poor outcome was defined as death or a developmental quotient <70.

RESULTS: Multiple regression analyses revealed no association between BP during the first 48h after birth and aEEG activity. However, BP 48-96h after birth was significantly associated with simultaneous aEEG activity (p<0.001). Within 48h after birth, SNAPPE-II was significantly associated with aEEG activity. Outcome was assessed in 32 infants; 24 and 8 of whom had good and poor outcomes, respectively. aEEG activity was significantly lower in neonates with a poor outcome than those with a good outcome (<0.001). No significant differences in outcome were observed for BP.

CONCLUSION: The activity of aEEG was associated with illness severity during the first 48h after birth. After 48h, there was no effect of illness severity but there was an association with BP. We do not know if hypotension results in a poor outcome. However, aEEG activity was associated with neurodevelopmental outcome.