Pediatric Neurology

Neonatal encephalopathy

Neonatal encephalopathy (NE), formerly known as neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (neonatal HIE or NHIE), is defined as an encephalopathy syndrome with signs and symptoms of abnormal neurological function, in the first days of life in a child born after 35 weeks of gestation. [1] [2] In this condition there is difficulty in initiating and maintaining breathing, a subnormal level of consciousness and associated depression of tone, reflexes and possibly convulsions.Encephalopathy is a non-specific response of the brain to an injury that can occur by multiple methods, but is commonly caused by asphyxia at birth, leading to brain hypoxia