General movements in the perinatal period and its relation to echogenicity changes in the brain
Received 6 August 2009; received in revised form 24 November 2009; accepted 19 January 2010.
Abstract
Background
In preterm born infants abnormal general movements (GMs) generally normalize before three months post term, but may persist when perinatal brain injury is present.
Aims
To assess the continuity of GM quality from fetal to early neonatal period and its relation to brain echogenicity changes.
Study design
Prospective study examining GMs and three vulnerable brain areas before and 7days after birth. The quality of GMs was classified as normal or abnormal by Gestalt-perception. The brain was examined for moderate echogenicity changes (periventricular: brighter than choroid plexus, intraventricular: filling equal or more than 50% of the ventricle, and locally increased basal ganglia/thalami).
Subjects
94 fetuses from pregnancies complicated by preterm hypertensive disorders or labour at a gestational age between 26 and 34weeks.
Outcomes measures
Correlations of fetal GMs, echogenicity changes, and clinical parameters (e.g. gestational age, parity, hypertensive disorders or preterm labour, oligohydramnios and fetal growth restriction) with neonatal GMs.
Results
Fetal GMs were abnormal in 64%, normalizing in 68% within 7days after birth. Fetal GMs were significantly related to postnatal GMs (p=0.045). Moderate fetal brain echogenicity changes and clinical parameters were not significantly related to neonatal GM.
Conclusions
In this population of pregnancies compromised by hypertensive disorders or preterm labour fetal GMs correlated with neonatal GMs. Presence of moderate echogenicity changes in the fetal brain was not related to neonatal GMs.
aDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Research Institute MOVE, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
bDepartment of Neonatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
cDepartment of Neonatology, Research Institute MOVE, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
dDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tygerberg Hospital, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Corresponding author. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, VU university Medical Center, Post box 7057, 1007MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Fax: +31 204441485.
ABSTRACT