Correlation of anterior cerebral artery resistive index with early comorbidities in preterm neonates

TL;DR

This study examined whether blood flow resistance in the brain's anterior cerebral artery correlates with early health issues in preterm babies.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into the lack of correlation between cerebral artery resistive index and specific neonatal comorbidities in preterm infants.

Findings

No significant difference in resistive index was found between preterm neonates with and without comorbidities on day 3 of life.

Resistive index values were similar in both groups on the 7th day of life.

The study found no clinical correlation between ACA resistive index and early comorbidities in preterm neonates.

Abstract

This study was undertaken to find the clinical correlation of resistive index (RI) in the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) of preterm neonates admitted to the Neonatal Intensive care unit (NICU) with comorbidities such as perinatal asphyxia, neonatal sepsis, and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

An observational analytical study was conducted, including preterm neonates (<35 weeks) admitted to the NICU. Ultrasound cranium scans were performed on days 1–3 and 7 of life as per the study protocol. Baseline and clinical data of asphyxia, sepsis, and NEC were obtained. Images were acquired using a 4–8-MHz probe on a Sonosite M-turbo machine (Bothell, WA, USA). All statistical calculations were done using SPSS version 21.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) with the application of the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test and the Mann–Whitney test.

During the study period, a total of 739 neonates were admitted. Of these, 73 neonates constituted the study group. Among the 73 patients, 33 were preterm neonates without comorbidities and 40 neonates had comorbidities such as perinatal asphyxia, sepsis, and NEC stage 2 and 3 (necrotizing enterocolitis). In the present study, the mean RI on day 3 of life was 0.76 ± 0.04 in neonates without comorbidities and 0.77 ± 0.04 in neonates with comorbidities, with a p-value of 0.247. On the 7th day of life, the mean RI was 0.82 ± 0.03 in both groups, with a p-value of 0.42.

We could not find any significant clinical correlation of RI in the ACA of preterm neonates <35 weeks of gestation with comorbidities.

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