CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF HYPOXIC-ISCHEMIC ENCEPHALOPATHY IN NEWBORNS DEPENDING ON SEVERITY LEVEL

Abstract

Introduction. Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in newborns is one of the most severe forms of perinatal central nervous system injury. This condition develops as a result of oxygen deficiency and impaired cerebral circulation during the intrauterine period, childbirth, or early postnatal stage. The severity of the disease is directly related to the duration and depth of hypoxia, which affects the expression of clinical symptoms, prognosis, and treatment outcomes. Studying the course and clinical manifestations of HIE according to its severity plays an important role in early diagnosis, prognosis assessment, and the selection of effective therapeutic strategies. Objective of the study. To study the clinical characteristics of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in newborns depending on the degree of severity. Materials and methods. The study included 110 newborns diagnosed with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy who were treated in the Department of Neonatal Pathology at City Children's Hospital No. 5. Group 1 consisted of 39 infants with stage I HIE, Group 2 included 36 infants with stage II HIE, and Group 3 comprised 35 infants with stage III HIE. Diagnosis was established based on clinical examination, neurological assessment, and neurosonography of the newborns. Statistical analysis of the obtained data was carried out using Microsoft Excel 2010 and Statistica 6 software packages. Results. The study results demonstrated that in moderate and severe forms of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, the diversity of clinical symptoms may be associated with the dynamics of morphological changes in brain structures. It should be noted that regardless of the degree, nature, depth, and extent of morphological and functional insufficiency of the central nervous system, the similarity and generality of clinical manifestations often make diagnosis challenging.