Background: Late preterm infants are the most represented premature babies. They are exposed to a wide spectrum of brain lesions which are often clinically silent, supporting a possible role of cerebral ultrasound screening. Aim of the study is to describe the pattern of cranial ultrasound abnormalities in late preterm infants and to define the need for cranial ultrasound according to perinatal risk factors. Methods: A hospital-based cranial ultrasound screening was carried out by performing two scans (at 1 and 5 weeks). Unfavorable cranial ultrasound at 5 weeks was defined as either persistent periventricular hyperechogenicity or severe abnormalities. Results: One thousand one hundred seventy-two infants were included. Periventricular hyperechogenicity and severe abnormalities were observed in, respectively, 19.6 % and 1 % of late preterms at birth versus 1.8 % and 1.4 % at 5 weeks. Periventricular hyperechogenicity resolved in 91.3 %. At the univariate analysis gestational age (OR 0.5, 95 % CI 0.32-0.77), Apgar score <5 at 5' (OR 15.3, 1.35-173) and comorbidities (OR 4.62, 2.39-8.98) predicted unfavorable ultrasound at 5 weeks. At the multivariate analysis the accuracy in predicting unfavorable ultrasound, estimated by combined gestational age/Apgar/comorbidities ROC curve, was fair (AUC 74.6) and increased to excellent (AUC 89.4) when ultrasound at birth was included. Conclusion: Gestational age and comorbitidies are the most important risk factors for detecting brain lesions. The combination of being born at 34 weeks and developing RDS represents the strongest indication to perform a cranial ultrasound. Differently from other studies, twin pregnancy doesn't represent a risk factor.

Cranial ultrasound findings in late preterm infants and correlation with perinatal risk factors / M. Fumagalli, L.A. Ramenghi, A. De Carli, L. Bassi, P. Farè, F. Dessimone, S. Pisoni, I. Sirgiovanni, M. Groppo, A. Ometto, D. Consonni, F. Triulzi, F. Mosca. - In: THE ITALIAN JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS. - ISSN 1720-8424. - 41:1(2015 Sep 24), pp. 65.1-65.7. [10.1186/s13052-015-0172-0]

Cranial ultrasound findings in late preterm infants and correlation with perinatal risk factors

M. Fumagalli;A. De Carli;F. Dessimone;S. Pisoni;M. Groppo;A. Ometto;F. Triulzi;F. Mosca
2015

Abstract

Background: Late preterm infants are the most represented premature babies. They are exposed to a wide spectrum of brain lesions which are often clinically silent, supporting a possible role of cerebral ultrasound screening. Aim of the study is to describe the pattern of cranial ultrasound abnormalities in late preterm infants and to define the need for cranial ultrasound according to perinatal risk factors. Methods: A hospital-based cranial ultrasound screening was carried out by performing two scans (at 1 and 5 weeks). Unfavorable cranial ultrasound at 5 weeks was defined as either persistent periventricular hyperechogenicity or severe abnormalities. Results: One thousand one hundred seventy-two infants were included. Periventricular hyperechogenicity and severe abnormalities were observed in, respectively, 19.6 % and 1 % of late preterms at birth versus 1.8 % and 1.4 % at 5 weeks. Periventricular hyperechogenicity resolved in 91.3 %. At the univariate analysis gestational age (OR 0.5, 95 % CI 0.32-0.77), Apgar score <5 at 5' (OR 15.3, 1.35-173) and comorbidities (OR 4.62, 2.39-8.98) predicted unfavorable ultrasound at 5 weeks. At the multivariate analysis the accuracy in predicting unfavorable ultrasound, estimated by combined gestational age/Apgar/comorbidities ROC curve, was fair (AUC 74.6) and increased to excellent (AUC 89.4) when ultrasound at birth was included. Conclusion: Gestational age and comorbitidies are the most important risk factors for detecting brain lesions. The combination of being born at 34 weeks and developing RDS represents the strongest indication to perform a cranial ultrasound. Differently from other studies, twin pregnancy doesn't represent a risk factor.
Brain injury; Cranial ultrasound; Late preterm infant; Perinatal risk factors; Brain Diseases; Echoencephalography; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Gestational Age; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature, Diseases; Male; Reproducibility of Results; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Infant, Premature
Settore MED/38 - Pediatria Generale e Specialistica
Settore MED/37 - Neuroradiologia
24-set-2015
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/324670
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