The Impact of Intraventricular Hemorrhage and Periventricular Leukomalacia on Mortality and Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Very Preterm and Very Low Birthweight Infants: A Prospective Population-based Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To survey the incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) by gestational age and to report the impact on mortality and neurodevelopmental outcome in very preterm/very low birthweight infants. STUDY DESIGN: This was a population-based cohort study of 1927 very preterm/very low birthweight infants born in 2014-2016 and admitted to Flemish neonatal intensive care units. Infants underwent standard follow-up assessment until 2 years corrected age with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development and neurological assessments. RESULTS: No brain lesion was present in 31% of infants born at <26 weeks of gestation and 75.8% in infants born at 29-32 weeks of gestation. The prevalence of low-grade IVH/PVL (grades I and II) was 16.8% and 12.7%, respectively. Low-grade IVH/PVL was not related significantly to an increased likelihood of mortality, motor delay, or cognitive delay, except for PVL grade II, which was associated with a 4-fold increase in developing cerebral palsy (OR, 4.1; 95% CI, 1.2-14.6). High-grade lesions (III-IV) were present in 22.0% of the infants born at <26 weeks of gestational and 3.1% at 29-32 weeks of gestation, and the odds of death were ≥14.0 (IVH: OR, 14.0; 95% CI, 9.0-21.9; PVL: OR, 14.1; 95% CI, 6.6-29.9). PVL grades III-IV showed an increased odds of 17.2 for motor delay and 12.3 for cerebral palsy, but were not found to be associated significantly with cognitive delay (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 0.5-17.5; P = .24). CONCLUSIONS: Both the prevalence and severity of IVH/PVL decreased significantly with advancing gestational age. More than 75% of all infants with low grades of IVH/PVL showed normal motor and cognitive outcome at 2 years corrected age. High-grade PVL/IVH has become less common and is associated with adverse outcomes.

Susceptibility weighted imaging can be a sensitive sequence to detect brain damage in neonates with kernicterus: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Kernicterus in the acute phase is difficult to diagnose. It depends on a high signal on T1 at the globus pallidum and subthalamic nucleus level. Unfortunately, these areas also show a relatively high signal on T1 in neonates as an expression of early myelination. Therefore, a less myelin-dependent sequence, like SWI, may be more sensitive to detecting damage in the globus pallidum area. CASE PRESENTATION: A term baby developed jaundice on day three following an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery. Total bilirubin peaked at 542 µmol/L on day four. Phototherapy was started, and an exchange transfusion was performed. ABR showed absent responses on day 10. MRI on day eight demonstrated abnormal high signal globus pallidus on T1w, isointense on T2w, without diffusion restriction, and high signal on SWI at globus pallidal and subthalamus level and phase image at globus pallidal level. These findings were consistent with the challenging diagnosis of kernicterus. On follow-up, the infant presented with sensorineural hearing loss and had a work-up for cochlear implant surgery. At 3 months of age, the follow-up MR shows normalization of the T1 and SWI signals and a high signal on T2. CONCLUSIONS: SWI seems more sensitive to injury than the T1w and lacks the disadvantage of the T1w sequence, where early myelin confers a high signal.

Brain Growth Evaluation Assessed with Transfontanellar (B-GREAT) Ultrasound. Old and New Bedside Markers to Estimate Cerebral Growth in Preterm Infants: a Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the feasibility of evaluating overall preterm brain growth using a gathered set of measurements of brain structures in standard cranial ultrasound planes. We called this method of assessment Brain Growth Evaluation Assessed with Transfontanellar ultrasound (B-GREAT). STUDY DESIGN: In this prospective observational cohort study, cranial ultrasound was regularly performed (on day 1, 2, 3, and 7 of life, and then weekly until discharge, and at term) in preterm infants born with gestational age (GA) less than 32 weeks. We evaluated corpus callosum length, corpus callosum-fastigium length, anterior horn width, frontal white matter height, total brain surface, deep grey matter height, hemisphere height, transverse cerebellar diameter in the axial view, and transverse cerebellar diameter coronal view. Measurements obtained were used to develop growth charts for B-GREAT markers as a function of postmenstrual age. Reproducibility of B-GREAT markers was studied. RESULTS: A total of 528 cranial ultrasounds were performed in 80 neonates (median birth GA: 28+5 weeks and interquartile range: 27+3-30+5). The intraclass correlation coefficients for intra-observer and inter-observer analyses showed substantial agreement for all B-GREAT markers. Growth curves for B-GREAT markers were developed. CONCLUSION: B-GREAT is a feasible and reproducible method for bedside monitoring of the growth of the main brain structures in preterm neonates. KEY POINTS: · Overall neonatal brain growth is not routinely monitored using ultrasound.. · Old and new markers were used to build a standardized and non-invasive tool to monitor brain growth.. · All B-GREAT measurements had a good intra-observer and inter-observer agreement..

Feasibility of Doppler Ultrasound for Cortical Cerebral Blood Flow Velocity Monitoring During Major Non-cardiac Surgery of Newborns.

Background and Aim: Newborns needing major surgical intervention are at risk of brain injury and impaired neurodevelopment later in life. Disturbance of cerebral perfusion might be an underlying factor. This study investigates the feasibility of serial transfontanellar ultrasound measurements of the pial arteries during neonatal surgery, and whether perioperative changes in cerebral perfusion can be observed and related to changes in the perioperative management. Methods: In this prospective, observational feasibility study, neonates with congenital diaphragmatic hernia and esophageal atresia scheduled for surgical treatment within the first 28 days of life were eligible for inclusion. We performed transfontanellar directional power Doppler and pulsed wave Doppler ultrasound during major high-risk non-cardiac neonatal surgery. Pial arteries were of interest for the measurements. Extracted Doppler ultrasound parameters were: peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity, the resistivity index and pulsatility index. Results: In 10 out of 14 patients it was possible to perform perioperative measurements; the others failed for logistic and technical reasons. In 6 out of 10 patients, it was feasible to perform serial intraoperative transfontanellar ultrasound measurements with directional power Doppler and pulsed wave Doppler of the same pial artery during neonatal surgery. Median peak systolic velocity was ranging between 5.7 and 7.0 cm s-1 and end diastolic velocity between 1.9 and 3.2 cm s-1. In patients with a vasoactive-inotropic score below 12 the trend of peak systolic velocity and end diastolic velocity corresponded with the mean arterial blood pressure trend. Conclusion: Perioperative transfontanellar ultrasound Doppler measurements of the pial arteries are feasible and provide new longitudinal data about perioperative cortical cerebral blood flow velocity. Trial Registration: https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/6972, identifier: NL6972.

Motor outcome after perinatal stroke and early prediction of unilateral spastic cerebral palsy.

BACKGROUND: Unilateral spastic cerebral palsy (USCP) occurs in 30%-68% of infants with perinatal stroke. Early detection of USCP is essential for referring infants to early intervention. The aims of this study were to report motor outcomes after perinatal stroke, and to determine the predictive value of the General Movements Assessment (GMA) and Hand Assessment for Infants (HAI) for detection of USCP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective observational study involving infants with perinatal stroke. GMA was conducted between 10 and 15 weeks post term-age (PTA). The HAI was performed between 3 and 5 months PTA. Motor outcome was collected between 12 and 36 months PTA. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 46 infants. Fifteen children (32.6%) were diagnosed with CP, two children with bilateral CP and 13 with USCP. Abnormal GMA had a sensitivity of 85% (95% confidence interval [CI] 55-98%) and a specificity of 52% (95% CI 33-71%) to predict USCP. When asymmetrically presented FMs were also considered as abnormal, sensitivity increased to 100%, hence the specificity declined to 43%. A HAI asymmetry index cut-off of 23, had both a sensitivity and a specificity of 100% to detect USCP. CONCLUSION: Using GMA and HAI can enable prediction of USCP before the age of 5 months in infants with perinatal stroke. Nevertheless, GMA must be interpreted with caution in this particular population. The HAI was found to be a very accurate screening tool for early detection of asymmetry and prediction of USCP.

The developing brain by trimester.

Transient anatomical entities play a role in the maturation of brain regions and early functional fetal networks. At the postmenstrual age of 7 weeks, major subdivisions of the brain are visible. At the end of the embryonic period, the cortical plate covers the neopallium. The choroid plexus develops in concert with it, and the dorsal thalamus covers about half the diencephalic third ventricle surface. In addition to the fourth ventricle neuroepithelium the rhombic lips are an active neuroepithelial production site. Early reciprocal connections between the thalamus and cortex are present. The corticospinal tract has reached the pyramidal decussation, and the arteries forming the mature circle of Willis are seen. Moreover, the superior sagittal sinus has formed, and at the rostral neuropore the massa commissuralis is growing. At the viable preterm age of around 24 weeks PMA, white matter tracts are in full development. Asymmetric progenitor division permits production of neurons, subventricular zone precursors, and glial cells. Myelin is present in the ventral spinal quadrant, cuneate fascicle, and spinal motor fibers. The neopallial mantle has been separated into transient layers (stratified transitional fields) between the neuroepithelium and the cortical plate. The subplate plays an important role in organizing the structuring of the cortical plate. Commissural tracts have shaped the corpus callosum, early primary gyri are present, and opercularization has started caudally, forming the lateral fissure. Thalamic and striatal nuclei have formed, although GABAergic neurons continue to migrate into the thalamus from the corpus gangliothalamicum. Near-term PMA cerebral sublobulation is active. Between 24 and 32 weeks, primary sulci develop. Myelin is present in the superior cerebellar peduncle, rubrospinal tract, and inferior olive. Germinal matrix disappears from the telencephalon, except for the GABAergic frontal cortical subventricular neuroepithelium.

Neurodevelopmental outcomes of very preterm and very-low-birthweight infants in a population-based clinical cohort with a definite perinatal treatment policy.

BACKGROUND: With constant changes in neonatal care practices, recent information is valuable for healthcare providers and for parental counselling. The aim of the study was to describe the neurodevelopmental outcome in a cohort of very preterm (VPT)/very-low-birthweight (VLBW) infants at 2 years corrected age (CA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a population-based cohort study of all infants born with a GA <31 weeks and/or BW < 1500 g between 2014 and 2016 admitted to the Flemish (Belgium) neonatal intensive care units. Infants had routine clinical follow-up around 2 years CA. The diagnosis of cerebral palsy (CP), visual and hearing impairments were recorded. Motor, cognitive and language outcomes were assessed using the Bayley-III. Neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) was classified as mild (<1 standard deviation [SD]) or moderate-severe (<2SD) based on the defined categories of motor, cognitive, hearing, and vision impairments. RESULTS: Of the 1941 admissions, 92% survived to discharge and follow-up data were available for 1089 infants (61.1%). Overall, 19.3%, 18.9% and 41.8% of infants had a motor, cognitive and language delay, respectively. CP was diagnosed in 4.3% of the infants. Mild and moderate-to-severe NDI was observed in 25.2% and 10.9% of the infants, respectively. The number of infants with a normal outcome increased from nearly 40% in the category of GA<26 weeks to 70% for infants in the category of 30─31 weeks GA. CONCLUSION: At 2 years CA, 64% were free from NDI and 90% were free from moderate-to-severe NDI. However, a lower GA and BW are associated with higher rates of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years CA.

Cranial ultrasound findings in preterm germinal matrix haemorrhage, sequelae and outcome.

Germinal matrix-intraventricular haemorrhage (GMH-IVH), periventricular haemorrhagic infarction (PHI) and its complication, post-haemorrhagic ventricular dilatation (PHVD), are still common neonatal morbidities in preterm infants that are highly associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcome. Typical cranial ultrasound (CUS) findings of GMH-IVH, PHI and PHVD, their anatomical substrates and underlying mechanisms are discussed in this paper. Furthermore, we propose a detailed descriptive classification of GMH-IVH and PHI that may improve quality of CUS reporting and prediction of outcome in infants suffering from GMH-IVH/PHI.

The development and validation of a cerebral ultrasound scoring system for infants with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy.

BACKGROUND: Hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates. When the gold standard MRI is not feasible, cerebral ultrasound (CUS) might offer an alternative. In this study, the association between a novel CUS scoring system and neurodevelopmental outcome in neonates with HIE was assessed. METHODS: (Near-)term infants with HIE and therapeutic hypothermia, a CUS on day 1 and day 3-7 after birth and available outcome data were retrospectively included in cohort I. CUS findings on day 1 and day 3-7 were related to adverse outcome in univariate and the CUS of day 3-7 also in multivariable logistic regression analyses. The resistance index, the sum of deep grey matter and of white matter involvement were included in multivariable logistic regression analyses. A comparable cohort from another hospital was used for validation (cohort II). RESULTS: Eighty-three infants were included in cohort I and 35 in cohort II. The final CUS scoring system contained the sum of white matter (OR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.5-4.7) and deep grey matter involvement (OR = 2.7, 95% CI 1.7-4.4). The CUS scoring system performed well in cohort I (AUC = 0.90) and II (AUC = 0.89). CONCLUSION: This validated CUS scoring system is associated with neurodevelopmental outcome in neonates with HIE.

Diagnostic and predictive value of Doppler ultrasound for evaluation of the brain circulation in preterm infants: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Very and extremely preterm infants frequently have brain injury-related long-term neurodevelopmental problems. Altered perfusion, for example, seen in the context of a hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), has been linked to injury of the immature brain. However, a direct relation with outcome has not been reviewed systematically. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted to provide an overview of the value of different cerebral arterial blood flow parameters assessed by Doppler ultrasound, in relation to brain injury, to predict long-term neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm infants. RESULTS: In total, 23 studies were included. Because of heterogeneity of studies, a meta-analysis of results was not possible. All included studies on resistance index (RI) showed significantly higher values in subjects with a hemodynamically significant PDA. However, absolute differences in RI values were small. Studies using Doppler parameters to predict brain injury and long-term neurodevelopmental outcome were inconsistent. DISCUSSION: There is no clear evidence to support the routine determination of RI or other Doppler parameters in the cerebral arteries to predict brain injury and long-term neurodevelopmental outcome in the preterm infant. However, there is evidence that elevated RI can point to the presence of a hemodynamically significant PDA.

Automated EEG background analysis to identify neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy treated with hypothermia at risk for adverse outcome: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: To improve the objective assessment of continuous video-EEG (cEEG) monitoring of neonatal brain function, the aim was to relate automated derived amplitude and duration parameters of the suppressed periods in the EEG background (dynamic Interburst Interval= dIBIs) after neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) to favourable or adverse neurodevelopmental outcome. METHODS: Nineteen neonates (gestational age 36-41 weeks) with HIE underwent therapeutic hypothermia and had cEEG-monitoring. EEGs were retrospectively analyzed with a previously developed algorithm to detect the dynamic Interburst Intervals. Median duration and amplitude of the dIBIs were calculated at 1 h-intervals. Sensitivity and specificity of automated EEG background grading for favorable and adverse outcomes were assessed at 6 h-intervals. RESULTS: Dynamic IBI values reached the best prognostic value between 18 and 24 h (AUC of 0.93). EEGs with dIBI amplitude ≥15 µV and duration <10 s had a specificity of 100% at 6-12 h for favorable outcome but decreased subsequently to 67% at 25-42 h. Suppressed EEGs with dIBI amplitude <15 µV and duration >10 s were specific for adverse outcome (89-100%) at 18-24 h (n = 10). Extremely low voltage and invariant EEG patterns were indicative of adverse outcome at all time points. CONCLUSIONS: Automated analysis of the suppressed periods in EEG of neonates with HIE undergoing TH provides objective and early prognostic information. This objective tool can be used in a multimodal strategy for outcome assessment. Implementation of this method can facilitate clinical practice, improve risk stratification and aid therapeutic decision-making. A multicenter trial with a quantifiable outcome measure is warranted to confirm the predictive value of this method in a more heterogeneous dataset.

Treatment thresholds for intervention in posthaemorrhagic ventricular dilation: a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare a low versus a higher threshold for intervention in preterm infants with posthaemorrhagic ventricular dilatation. DESIGN: Multicentre randomised controlled trial (ISRCTN43171322). SETTING: 14 neonatal intensive care units in six countries. PATIENTS: 126 preterm infants ≤34 weeks gestation with ventricular dilatation after grade III-IV haemorrhage were randomised to low threshold (LT) (ventricular index (VI) >p97 and anterior horn width (AHW) >6 mm) or higher threshold (HT) (VI>p97+4 mm and AHW >10 mm). INTERVENTION: Cerebrospinal fluid tapping by lumbar punctures (LPs) (max 3), followed by taps from a ventricular reservoir, to reduce VI, and eventually a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt if stabilisation of the VI below the p97+4 mm did not occur. COMPOSITE MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: VP shunt or death. RESULTS: 19 of 64 (30%) LT infants and 23 of 62 (37%) HT infants were shunted or died (P=0.45). A VP shunt was inserted in 12/64 (19%) in the LT and 14/62 (23%) infants in the HT group. 7/12 (58%) LT infants and 1/14 (7%) HT infants required shunt revision (P<0.01). 62 of 64 (97%) LT infants and 36 of 62 (58%) HT infants had LPs (P<0.001). Reservoirs were inserted in 40 of 64 (62%) LT infants and 27 of 62 (43%) HT infants (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in the primary composite outcome of VP shunt placement or death in infants with posthaemorrhagic ventricular dilatation who were treated at a lower versus a higher threshold for intervention. Infants treated at the lower threshold received more invasive procedures. Assessment of neurodevelopmental outcomes will provide further important information in assessing the risks and benefits of the two treatment approaches.

Electroencephalography and brain magnetic resonance imaging in asphyxia comparing cooled and non-cooled infants.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to establish any differences in the predictive value of EEG and MRI for outcome in infants treated and not-treated with therapeutic hypothermia (HT) for perinatal asphyxia. We hypothesize that they are equally predictive and that combining both has the highest predictive value. STUDY DESIGN: We retrospectively compared data of infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) who received HT (n = 45) between September 2009 and December 2013 with those of infants with HIE born between January 2004 and August 2009, before HT was available (NT, n = 37). All received conventional and/or amplitude-integrated EEG during the first days and early MRI (day 4-5). Associations of EEG, MRI and severe neurodevelopmental outcome (death or Bayley's -2SD below mean), were tested with a multivariable logistic regression analysis, corrected for HT. RESULTS: Forty-eight hours' EEG background pattern had a PPV of 92% and a NPV of 81% in HT, versus 100% and 58% in NT. MRI had a PPV of 71% and a NPV of 93% in HT, versus 82% and 75% in NT. The adjusted OR for adverse outcome was 0.013 (95% CI 0.002-0.154, p < 0.001) for EEG background normalization within 48 h and 32.19 (95% CI 4.84-214.25, p < 0.001) for abnormal MRI. CONCLUSION: The predictive value of EEG and MRI is equal in cooled and non-cooled infants with HIE. Our data show a higher predictive value (death and severe outcome) for EEG compared to MRI. In HIE, persistent abnormal EEG background pattern until 48 h, combined with abnormal early MRI is strongly predictive for poor neurodevelopment.

Bedside Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Needle Aspiration of Intra- and Extra-Axial Intracranial Hemorrhage in Neonates.

Intracranial hemorrhage is an important cause of brain injury in the neonatal population and bedside percutaneous needle aspiration has emerged as an alternative due to the major risks that can be caused by standard neurosurgical decompression. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of this minimally invasive bedside technique and conducted a retrospective analysis of all newborn infants with a large extra-axial hemorrhage associated with a parenchymal hemorrhage causing a midline shift, managed at three academic centers over a 15-year period. Collected data included clinical history, laboratory results, review of all imaging studies performed, and neurodevelopmental follow-up. Eight infants (3 preterm and 5 full-term) presented on day 1 to 2 with seizures (n = 6) and apneas (n = 5), signs of increased intracranial pressure (n = 4), and coning (n = 1). Risk factors were present in six. Cranial ultrasound and computed tomography showed a midline shift in all; two infants showed status epilepticus on amplitude-integrated electroencephalography with complete resolution after the procedure. Between 7 and 34 mL could be aspirated associated with a decrease in the midline shift as seen by ultrasonography performed during the puncture. No complications were seen related to the procedure and none of the infants required further acute neurosurgical intervention. On follow-up, three had mild sequelae, including motor coordination problems (n = 1) and hemianopia (n = 2); none developed cerebral palsy or postneonatal epilepsy. Neonates, presenting with severe symptoms, can be managed successfully using ultrasound-guided needle aspiration and this minimally invasive bedside method should be kept in mind before performing neurosurgical decompression.

Pilot study of intracranial venous physiology in craniosynostosis.

OBJECTIVE In addition to craniocerebral disproportion, other factors, such as Chiari malformation type I, obstructive sleep apnea, and venous outflow obstruction, are considered to have a role in the occurrence of intracranial hypertension in craniosynostosis. This pilot study examined cerebral venous flow velocity to better characterize the complex intracranial venous physiology of craniosynostosis. METHODS The authors performed a prospective cohort study of craniosynostosis patients (n = 34) referred to a single national (tertiary) craniofacial unit. Controls (n = 28) consisted of children who were referred to the unit's outpatient clinic and did not have craniosynostosis. Transfontanelle ultrasound scans with venous Doppler flow velocity assessment were performed at the first outpatient clinic visit and after each surgery, if applicable. Mean venous blood flow velocities of the internal cerebral vein (ICVv) and the superior sagittal sinus (SSSv) were recorded and blood flow waveform was scored. RESULTS Preoperatively, SSSv was decreased in craniosynostosis patients compared with controls (7.57 vs 11.31 cm/sec, p = 0.009). ICVv did not differ significantly between patients and controls. Postoperatively, SSSv increased significantly (7.99 vs 10.66 cm/sec, p = 0.023). Blood flow waveform analyses did not differ significantly between patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS Premature closure of cranial sutures was associated with decreased SSSv but not ICVv; indicating an effect on the superficial rather than deep venous drainage. Further Doppler ultrasound studies are needed to test the hypothesis that at an early stage of craniosynostosis pathology SSSv, but not pulsatility, is abnormal, and that abnormality in both SSSv and the superficial venous waveform reflect a more advanced stage of evolution in suture closure.

Neonatal subcortical bruising.

A specific type of acute brain injury can occur during birth, presenting on ultrasound examination with focal, unilateral, or asymmetrical change in the core of the superior frontal gyri. Ultrasound inspection of the superior gyri near the convexity of the frontal lobe is warranted following mechanically difficult delivery.

Neurodevelopmental outcome in very preterm and very-low-birthweight infants born over the past decade: a meta-analytic review.

AIM: The purpose of this systematic review was to provide an up-to-date global overview of the separate prevalences of motor and cognitive delays and cerebral palsy (CP) in very preterm (VPT) and very-low-birthweight (VLBW) infants. METHOD: A comprehensive search was conducted across four databases. Cohort studies reporting the prevalence of CP and motor or cognitive outcome from 18 months corrected age until 6 years of VPT or VLBW infants born after 2006 were included. Pooled prevalences were calculated with random-effects models. RESULTS: Thirty studies were retained, which included a total of 10 293 infants. The pooled prevalence of cognitive and motor delays, evaluated with developmental tests, was estimated at 16.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 10.4-26.3) and 20.6% (95% CI 13.9-29.4%) respectively. Mild delays were more frequent than moderate-to-severe delays. Pooled prevalence of CP was estimated to be 6.8% (95% CI 5.5-8.4). Decreasing gestational age and birthweight resulted in higher prevalences. Lower pooled prevalences were found with the Third Edition of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development than with the Second Edition. INTERPRETATION: Even though neonatal intensive care has improved over recent decades, there is still a wide range of neurodevelopmental disabilities resulting from VPT and VLBW births. However, pooled prevalences of CP have diminished over the years. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition reported lower pooled prevalences of motor and cognitive delays than the Second Edition. The pooled prevalence of cerebral palsy in infants born extremely preterm was reduced compared with previous meta-analyses.

Weighted Performance Metrics for Automatic Neonatal Seizure Detection Using Multiscored EEG Data.

In neonatal intensive care units, there is a need for around the clock monitoring of electroencephalogram (EEG), especially for recognizing seizures. An automated seizure detector with an acceptable performance can partly fill this need. In order to develop a detector, an extensive dataset labeled by experts is needed. However, accurately defining neonatal seizures on EEG is a challenge, especially when seizure discharges do not meet exact definitions of repetitiveness or evolution in amplitude and frequency. When several readers score seizures independently, disagreement can be high. Commonly used metrics such as good detection rate (GDR) and false alarm rate (FAR) derived from data scored by multiple raters have their limitations. Therefore, new metrics are needed to measure the performance with respect to the different labels. In this paper, instead of defining the labels by consensus or majority voting, popular metrics including GDR, FAR, positive predictive value, sensitivity, specificity, and selectivity are modified such that they can take different scores into account. To this end, 353 hours of EEG data containing seizures from 81 neonates were visually scored by a clinical neurophysiologist, and then processed by an automated seizure detector. The scored seizures were mixed with false detections of an automated seizure detector and were relabeled by three independent EEG readers. Then, all labels were used in the proposed performance metrics and the result was compared with the majority voting technique and showed higher accuracy and robustness for the proposed metrics. Results were confirmed using a bootstrapping test.