Сharacteristics of nervous system damage in children born with a very low and extremely low birthweight and perinatal hypoxic brain injury

Aim. To determine the frequency of structural damage to the pyramidal tract in the region of crus posterius capsulae internae in children with a birthweight of less than one and a half kilograms with perinatal hypoxic damage to the nervous system using the value of fractional anisotropy according to diffusion-tensor magnetic resonance imaging at 39 weeks of post-conceptual age (PCA).

Materials and methods. The study included 68 children born with a very low birthweight and 59 children with an extremely low birthweight demonstrating brain structural changes at 39 weeks of postconceptual age according to neurosonography. At 39 weeks of postconceptual age, the children included in the study underwent diffuse tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT MRI) with the determination of fractional anisotropy.

Results. At 39 weeks of PCA, all children had impaired neurological status. During DT MRI, the area of interest was crus posterius capsulae internae. Significant differences in the nature of structural damage to the pyramidal tract in the area of interest between children born with a very low and extremely low birthweight were not observed.

Conclusion. Damage to the pyramidal tract was observed in 22.0% of children born with an extremely low birthweight, and in 13.2% of children born with a very low birthweight; partial destruction of the pathways was noted in 47.5% and 45.6% of children, respectively. Intact pyramidal tracts were visualized in 30.5% of children born with an extremely low birthweight and 41.2% of children born with a very low birhtweight.