Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The neuropathologic mechanisms of the ovine fetal brain in response to several hours of sustained hypoxemia with variable degrees of metabolic acidemia was investigated in both the preterm and near-term ovine fetus. STUDY DESIGN: Three groups of fetuses were studied in each of the near-term and midgestation groups: a hypoxic group, a control group, and an uninstrumented control group. Histopathologic studies were performed after a 40-hour recovery period after experimentation. RESULTS: Pathologic findings consisted of predominately white matter damage with some adjacent cortical necrosis but no selective neuronal injury. In the near-term group the hypoxia group fetuses demonstrated significantly higher white matter injury scores than did control group fetuses (p < 0.05). Periventricular white matter injury was the predominant pattern seen in the midgestation group. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of normalization of biophysical and biochemical parameters after hypoxemia both midgestation and near-term fetuses sustained pathologic changes. Presence or extent of injury did not correlate with the degree of hypoxemia or metabolic acidosis achieved. (AM J OBSTET GYNECOL 1994;170:1425-32.)
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 1425-1432 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | American journal of obstetrics and gynecology |
Volume | 170 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1994 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Cerebral palsy
- hypoxia
- ovine fetus
- periventricular leukomalacia, development
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Obstetrics and Gynecology