Neurodevelopment

Neurodevelopment

The central nervous system of extremely preterm infants is highly susceptible to perinatal injuries due to the presence of immature vasculature in the germinal matrix and periventricular white matter. Furthermore, the sensitivity of cerebral tissue to hypoxia-ischemia stems from already low baseline CBF and high oxygen consumption with increased oxygen extraction. In…

Intraventricular hemorrhage

Intraventricular hemorrhage

The intraventricular hemorrhage in the preterm infants usually originates in the germinal matrix (temporary developmental structure with significant vascular supply due to massive mitotic and metabolic activity). The structure is divided from the cerebral ventricles only by a thin layer of subependymal cells and disappears after 34 weeks of gestation – one…