Prevalence & Risk Factors for Perinatal Stroke: A Population-Based Study

Abstract

The study objective was to calculate the birth prevalence of perinatal stroke and examine risk factors in term infants. Some risk factors are present in healthy infants, making it difficult to determine at-risk infants. Prospective population-based perinatal stroke data were compared to the Australian general population data using chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Sixty perinatal stroke cases were reported between 2017 and 2019. Estimated stroke prevalence was 9.6/100,000 live births/year including 5.8 for neonatal arterial ischemic stroke and 2.9 for neonatal hemorrhagic stroke. Eighty seven percent had multiple risk factors. Significant risk factors were cesarean section (p = 0.04), 5-min Apgar score <7 (p < 0.01), neonatal resuscitation (p < 0.01) and nulliparity (p < 0.01). Statistically significant independent risk factors do not fully explain the cause of perinatal stroke, because they are not a direct causal pathway to stroke. These data now require validation in a case-control study.