Cerebral blood flow increases over the first three days of life in extremely preterm neonates

Abstract

Aim - To measure changes in cerebral haemodynamics over the first three days of life in very preterm infants with normal brains. Methods - Eleven mechanically ventilated infants (median gestational age 26 weeks) without evidence of major abnormalities on cranial ultrasound examination were studied. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) were measured using near infrared spectroscopy at least twice over the first three days of life. Results - Cerebral blood flow increased significantly with time (p=0.02; stepwise linear regression) and this was independent of mean arterial blood pressure, PaCO2, and haematocrit. Conclusion - This change is likely to represent a normal adaptive response of the cerebral circulation to postnatal life.