A Brief History An understanding of lung development and maturation is central to the care of preterm infants, because lung function is so critical to survival of the preterm. Pattle and Clements first noted surface-active substances in pulmonary edema foam…
Cranial Ultrasound Cranial ultrasound (CUS) is the most widely used neuroimaging method for preterm infants. Cranial ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves, transmitted through open fontanelles, to detect differences in echogenicity between tissues and allow identification of anatomic structures, hemorrhage, and…
Advances in obstetric and neonatal care, which have been responsible for the improved survival of high-risk neonates, have not resulted in decreased morbidity. Since perinatal interventions can alter later growth and development, long-term follow-up is essential to ensure therapies such…
Background Tremendous progress has been made during the past 25 years in the identification of hearing loss (HL) in newborns. The National Institutes of Health issued a “Consensus Statement on Early Identification of Hearing Impairment in Infants and Young Children”…
Summary This chapter reviews open and closed neural tube defects. We discuss imaging evaluation as well as physical exam findings. Finally, we discuss current trends in treatment and perinatal care. Introduction Neural tube defects (NTD) are the second-most common birth…
Summary This chapter explores those conditions that cause abnormal head shape or head size in the newborn infant. The underlying causes, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and available interventions will be presented. Examination of the Head Abnormalities are first identified by observation…
Clinicians who care for newborns are often required to consider the possibility that a neuromuscular disorder might be present in a hypotonic infant. The ability to determine the normal expected tone of that infant is vital to assess what additional…
Seizures are a common and important clinical manifestation of neurologic dysfunction in the newborn. Building on a traditional foundation of knowledge regarding seizures in the newborn, the last decade has brought new insights into the clinical-electroencephalographic correlates, pathophysiology, and treatment…
Hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) following severe perinatal asphyxia (also referred to in the literature as perinatal hypoxia–ischemia or asphyxia neonatorum ) has an incidence of 1-2 per 1,000 live births in the Western world and is far more common in developing…
Germinal Matrix Hemorrhage–Intraventricular Hemorrhage Incidence Germinal matrix hemorrhage–intraventricular hemorrhage (GMH-IVH) mainly occurs in premature infants, and the risk is higher with decreasing maturity. A 2003 study, however, also showed that IVH, sometimes associated with a thalamic hemorrhage, can be seen…