Regional cerebral blood flow in the fetus and newborn under physiological and asphyxial conditions

ABSTRACT Developmental changes in regional cerebral blood flow (RCBF) were determined using radioactively labelled microspheres to measure flow to the cortex (Cx), brainstem (Bs), cerebellum

(Cbl), white matter (WM), caudate nucleus (CN) and choroid plexus (CP) in 3 groups of chronically catheterised lambs under physiological and asphyxia, conditions: 90-100 day preterm fetal

lambs, 125-136 day near-term fetal lambs and newborn lambs 5-44 days old. In all 3 groups the high flow areas are the CP and CN while the lowest flow area is the WM. There is a different

heirarchy of RCBF in utero (Bs and Cbl > Cx) compared to extrauterine life in the newborn lamb (Cx and Cbl > Bs). Analysis of regional cerebral oxygen delivery demonstrated a

progressively increasing oxygen transport to the Cx with increasing gestational maturity, and after birth. Oxygen transport to the Bs, Cbl and WM increased with gestational age, but did not

increase after birth. RCBF measurements revealed significantly different responses to asphyxia in the 3 groups. With asphyxia, there were significant decreases in oxygen transport to all

cerebral regions with the exception of the Bs in the preterm lamb, in contrast to the maintenance of oxygen delivery to the Bs, Cbl, Cx, CN and WM in the near-term and newborn lambs. The

response of CBF to hypotension during asphyxia revealed that the preterm brain was the most vulnerable, while the near-term and newborn brains were able to autoregulate regional CBF except

in the CP. These experiments demonstrate that maturity of the animal is an important determinant of the response to asphyxia. ARTICLE PDF AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Centre

for Early Human Development and Department of Paediatrics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia Wanda M Szymonowicz, Adrian M Walker, Leo Cussen & Victor Y H Yu Authors * Wanda M

Szymonowicz View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Adrian M Walker View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed 

Google Scholar * Leo Cussen View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Victor Y H Yu View author publications You can also search for this author

inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Szymonowicz, W., Walker, A., Cussen, L. _et al._ REGIONAL CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW IN

THE FETUS AND NEWBORN UNDER PHYSIOLOGICAL AND ASPHYXIAL CONDITIONS. _Pediatr Res_ 26, 521 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198911000-00133 Download citation * Issue Date: 01 November

1989 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198911000-00133 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a

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