99nicuUlrika Ådén on those mild HIE-pratients. Do we really need to cool them?
Let’s start with the hard questions.
Would you cool these babies?!
Audience doesn’t seem to agree
Last year a study was published were 414 babies with mild HIE were included.
There were increased mortality, CP and epilepsy in the group.
While doing MRI of babies with HIE 50 percent of children was found to have a watershed-injury
(Li Ped Res 2022)
In short. Many of newborns with mild HIE have injuries, and many will have long term outcomes secondary to this.
But is the hypothermia treatment effective?
Two studies are published. Both with small numbers of babies, unfortunately underpowered. But they could not show any effect.
It is time for a randomized controlled trial.
But how should we do the study, and what outcome measures should we aim at looking at? This question is already answered.
Let’s do it!
It seems like we know too little to say anything for sure yet. It’s up to the clinicians opinion and the risk and possible benefit of the child in front of you.
Thank you Ulrika!
Francesco Cardona
Stefan Johansson, MD PhD