J Korean Pediatr Cardiol Soc.  2007 Sep;11(3):161-168.

Cardiovascular Management for the Prevention of Insult on the Central Nervous System in Prematurity

• Oh JH

Abstract

High risk premature babies with various health problems needs long term follow up on the neurological impairment. The major neuropathologic lesions associated with premature babies are intraventricular hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia. Predisposing factors of these are prematurity itself, hypoxic-ischemic or hypotensive injury and reperfusion injury etc. For these, tenacious care of the infants fluid and electrolyte management including avoiding hypoxia, hypocarbia, hypotension, or wide fluctuation in neonatal blood pressure are important factors. In recent years there has been a growing debate whether patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in prematurity treated or not during the neonatal life. Early treatment of PDA runs the risk of exposing infants to drugs or procedures they might not to be. In this review I am going to summary of the current debates on the treatment strategies of PDA in preterm infants in the aspect of cardiovascular management and present other strategies for the prevention of insult on the central nervous system in premature babies.

Keyword

Cardiovascular; Prevention; Central nervous system; Prematurity

MeSH Terms

Anoxia
Blood Pressure
Causality
Central Nervous System*
Ductus Arteriosus, Patent
Hemorrhage
Humans
Hypotension
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature
Leukomalacia, Periventricular
Reperfusion Injury