Abstract:Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in the newborn is a cerebral hypoxi-ischemic injury caused by perinatal asphyxia. It presents with various clinical manifestations of central nervous system. Diagnosis of HIE may be confirmed based on the following four criteria: A) Well-defined episode of fetal distress and evidence of severe fetal distress before delivery with fetal heart rate of < 100 beats per minute lasting for over 5 minutes and with or without severe meconium stained amniotic fluid, or an evidence of obvious asphyxia history during delivery. B) Severe birth asphyxia, defined as an Apgar scores of ≤ 3 at 1 minute and ≤ 5 at 5 minutes or an umbilical arterial pH of ≤7.00. C) Onset of abnormal neurological symptoms and signs in immediate newborn period and persisting for longer than 24 hrs. D) Exclusion of convulsions caused by electrolyte disturbances, intracranial hemorrhage and birth trauma, as well as the exclusion of brain injury resulted from intrauterine infection, genetic metabolic diseases, and other inborn errors of diseases. The infants who met the first three criteria but did not necessarily exhibit the fourth one may be diagnosed as suspected HIE. The diagnostic criteria for HIE are only suitable for term infants.［Chin J Contemp Pediatr, 2005, 7(2): 97-98］
