Abstract

ROBAINA CASTELLANOS, Gerardo Rogelio; SANTIAGO LOPEZ, Anay Milagros; RIESGO RODRIGUEZ, Solangel de la Caridad  and  RODRIGUEZ DEL TORO, Nelson. Epidemiology of neonatal encephalopathy in a tertiary level hospital in Cuba. Rev Cubana Pediatr [online]. 2013, vol.85, n.1, pp. 51-65. ISSN 0034-7531.

Introduction: the risk factors related to the onset of neonatal encephalopathy have been poorly treated in the Third World countries. Likewise, the incidence of this disease in most of the Cuban perinatal care centers is unknown. Objective: to determine the incidence and risk factors of neonatal encephalopathy in a tertiary perinatal care hospital. Methods: a retrospective analytical study was carried out in 35 neonates suffering neonatal encephalopathy from a cohort of 19 577 neonates born at the provincial gynecological and obstetric hospital in Matanzas in the period of 2005 to 2011. A case-control study was conducted to determine the risk factors, on the basis of a bivariate analysis, with a case-control ration of 1:3. Results: the incidence of the neonatal encephalopathy was 1.78 per 1 000 livebirths. Neonatal encephalopathy after asphyxia was seen in 48.5% of cases. Maternal hypertension during pregnancy, maternal history of chronic hypertension, rural origin of the mother and the male sex were the antenatal risk factors found. On the other hand, the intranatal risk factors were severe distress at birth, circular tightening around the neck, premature rupture of membranes, clinical chorioamnionitis, placenta previa, unquiet fetal state and meconial amniotic fluid. Conclusions: the perinatal and some antenatal risk factors are significant in the studied population from an epidemiological viewpoint.

Keywords : newborn; neonatal encephalopathy; hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy; perinatal asphyxia; brain damage; epidemiology.

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