The Newborn at High Risk of Brain Damage
EURope Against Infant Brain Injury (EURAIBI)
International Workshop
Siena, Italy, April 5-7, 2001
Guest Editor: G. Buonocore, Siena

Paper

Maternal Risk Factors for Fetal and Neonatal Brain Damage
Vasso Terzidou, Phillip Bennett

Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College School of Medicine, London, UK

Address of Corresponding Author

Biol Neonate 2001;79:157-162 (DOI: 10.1159/000047084)

  Key Words

• Preterm labour
• Infection
• Twins
• Placenta
• Asphyxia
• Cerebral palsy

  Abstract

Prematurity is probably the major factor associated with brain damage in newborns. Our growing knowledge of the biochemical mechanisms leading to the onset of labour at term allows the biochemical correlates of the epidemiological risk factors for prematurity to be understood. Infection is the major cause of early preterm labour and is now recognised to be a major cause of fetal cerebral damage leading to cerebral palsy. Only some 5% of cerebral palsy is due to intrapartum asphyxia at term. This may occur due to an obstetric catastrophe or through inadequate placental function leading to chronic intrapartum asphyxia.

Copyright © 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Prof. Phillip Bennett
Imperial College School of Medicine
Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Hammersmith Hospital
Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN (UK)
Tel. +44 208 759 42141, Fax +44 208 759 42154, E-Mail pbennett@ic.ac.uk

  Article Information

Number of Print Pages : 6
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 79