Definiton

Perinatal asphyxia is a condition characterized by fetal oxygen deprivation that occurs in close temporal proximity to birth. It may lead to impaired cell function in various tissues and result in end-organ damage (e.g., encephalopathy, renal injury).

Neonatal encephalopathy: a syndrome of CNS dysfunction in the early newborn period characterized by an altered level of consciousness/seizures, difficulty initiating/maintaining respiration, poor tone, and/or depressed reflexes

• Several conditions can be the cause (e.g., hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, inborn errors of metabolism)

• Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a diffuse disruption of brain function and/or structure caused by inadequate tissue oxygenation (e.g., due to cardiac arrest, trauma, drug overdose, perinatal asphyxia). It is the most common subtype of neonatal encephalopathy.

Perinatal asphyxia accounts for ∼ 900,000 fetal deaths per year (worldwide) and is one of the main causes of early neonatal mortality. [1]

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy occurs in ∼ 1.5:1,000 live births in the US.