How is the severity of HIE determined?

How severely HIE affects an individual depends on a variety of factors, including:

1. Severity of oxygen deprivation

If a baby’s oxygen supply is dramatically or entirely cut off, their lasting brain damage may be greater.

2. Duration of oxygen deprivation

Babies deprived of oxygen for longer are more likely to have permanent health complications.

3. The baby’s condition before the oxygen-depriving incident

For example, premature babies have more fragile brains and are more vulnerable to damage resulting from oxygen deprivation.

4. Treatment immediately after the oxygen-depriving incident

A cutting-edge treatment called therapeutic hypothermia can minimize or prevent lasting brain damage if administered very shortly after the baby is deprived of oxygen (this treatment is so important that failure to provide it in a timely manner is a form of medical malpractice).

5. Care throughout the child’s development

There are a variety of treatments and therapies that can benefit children with HIE and associated conditions.

What is Sarnat staging?

To determine the prognosis of an infant with HIE after birth, doctors may use Sarnat staging. Sarnat staging considers clinical presentation, exam results, illness duration, and whether the baby has seizures. There are three levels of Sarnat staging (1):

Stage I = “Mild” HIE

Stage II = “Moderate”

Stage III = “Severe”

Although Sarnat staging is a useful diagnostic tool, its predictive value is somewhat limited. It should be used in conjunction with other neonatal assessments