Predictors of Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Newborns Undergoing Hypothermia Therapy

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the early predictors of neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants undergoing therapeutic hypothermia for neonatal hypoxic is chemic encephalopathy. Methods: The medical records of 24 neonates who underwent hypothermia therapy for hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy at the neonatal intensive care unit of Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital of the Catholic University of Korea between August 2013 and May 2016 were reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups according to their neuro logical outcome at the age of 18 to 24 months: a normal group (n=14), which included patients with normal neurological function, and an abnormal group (n=10), which included patients with neurological deficits. The clinical characteristics, clinical out comes, and laboratory findings before and after hypothermia treatment were com pared between the groups. Results: There were no significant differences in the demographic characteristics bet ween the two groups. With regard to clinical outcomes, only brain magnetic re sonance imaging (MRI) findings showed significant differences between the normal and abnormal groups (21.4% vs. 100.0%, P<0.001). With regard to laboratory findings, there were significant differences in the white blood cell (WBC) count after hypo thermia treatment between the normal and abnormal groups (9.783.52 vs. 14.90 3.48, P=0.003). However, logistic regression analysis showed that the WBC count was not an independent risk factor for abnormal neurodevelopment (P>0.05).