Lost in Transition: A Systematic Review of Neonatal Electroencephalography in the Delivery Room-Are We Forgetting an Important Biomarker for Newborn Brain Health?

Overview

Journal Front Pediatr

Specialty Pediatrics

Date 2017 Aug 30

PMID 28848727

Citations 4

Authors

Daragh Finn

Eugene M Dempsey

Geraldine B Boylan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring is routine in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) for detection of seizures, neurological monitoring of infants following perinatal asphyxia, and increasingly, following preterm delivery. EEG monitoring is not routinely commenced in the delivery room (DR).

Objectives: To determine the feasibility of recording neonatal EEG in the DR, and to assess its usefulness as a marker of neurological well-being during immediate newborn transition.

Methods: We performed a systematic stepwise search of PubMed using the following terms: infant, newborns, neonate, DR, afterbirth, transition, and EEG. Only human studies describing EEG monitoring in the first 15 min following delivery were included. Infants of all gestational ages were included.

Results: Two original studies were identified that described EEG monitoring of newborn infants within the DR. Both prospective observational studies used amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG) monitoring and found it feasible in infants >34 weeks' gestation; however, technical challenges made it difficult to obtain continuous reliable data. Different EEG patterns were identified in uncompromised newborns and those requiring resuscitation.

Conclusion: EEG monitoring is possible in the DR and may provide an objective baseline measure of neurological function. Further feasibility studies are required to overcome technical challenges in the DR, but these challenges are not insurmountable with modern technology.

Citing Articles

aEEG in the first 3 days after extremely preterm delivery relates to neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Pineda R, Vesoulis Z, El Ters N, Mathur A J Perinatol. 2024; 44(6):857-864.

PMID: 38553599 PMC: 11161402. DOI: 10.1038/s41372-024-01945-z.

Efficiency Evaluation of Neuroprotection for Therapeutic Hypothermia to Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy.

Weng B, Yan C, Chen Y, Gong X, Cai C Front Neurosci. 2021; 15:668909.

PMID: 34650397 PMC: 8505668. DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.668909.

Amplitude-Integrated Electroencephalography for Early Diagnosis and Prognostic Prediction of Hypoxic Encephalopathy in Preterm Infants.

Zhu X, Guo Y, Liu Y, Liu K Med Sci Monit. 2018; 24:8795-8802.

PMID: 30514829 PMC: 6290585. DOI: 10.12659/MSM.909330.

Commentary: Computerised interpretation of fetal heart rate during labour (INFANT): a randomised controlled trial.

Frasch M, Boylan G, Wu H, Devane D Front Physiol. 2017; 8:721.

PMID: 29033845 PMC: 5625115. DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00721.

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