KEY POINTS 1. At birth, the fetal-neonatal immune system gets activated. It is critical for survival to recognize and eliminate all the potentially dangerous pathogens in the infant’s external and its own enteric environment. 2. The innate arm is particularly…
KEY POINTS 1. The fetal-neonatal immune system becomes activated at birth to play a role in host defense and eliminate environmental pathogens but also to tolerate self-antigens, nutrients, and commensals. 2. The innate immune system is comprised of neutrophils, the…
KEY POINTS 1. In the United States an infant is born every 15 minutes who will develop symptoms of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS); each year, about 32,000 infants are estimated to develop NAS. 2. The exposure of the developing fetus to…
KEY POINTS 1. Spina bifida is the most common nonlethal birth defect of the central nervous system and occurs when the vertebral column fails to close, resulting in neurologic impacts from both the abnormal formation and ongoing damage to the…
KEY POINTS 1. Childbirth is a traumatic event; the head of the neonate is subject to multiple forces that, in turn, may result in clinically relevant neurologic injuries. 2. Extracranial scalp traumatic injuries are the most common type of neonatal…
KEY POINTS 1. Very-low-birthweight infants are at risk of spontaneous germinal matrix–intraventricular hemorrhages (GM-IVHs). 2. GM-IVHs usually originate within the subependymal germinal matrix lining the ventricles and progress outwards into the ventricles. IVH occurs most frequently during the first 72…
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KEY POINTS 1. Perinatal arterial ischemic stroke most often results from the convergence of multiple stroke risk factors specific to the perinatal period and has a low risk of recurrence. 2. Neonatal arterial ischemic stroke refers to the most common…
KEY POINTS 1. Seizures are very common in the neonatal period and constitute a neurologic emergency. 2. Specific aspects of the physiology of the developing brain make it highly susceptible to hyperexcitability and seizure occurrence. 3. Brain injury often causes…
KEY POINTS 1. Encephalopathy of prematurity reflects white and gray matter injury combined with neuronal-axonal abnormalities impacting preterm infants. 2. Key risk factors include hypotension and the need for inotropes, hypoxia, and inflammation. 3. Evaluation of high-risk infants in the…