REGIONAL DIFFERENCES OF CEREBRAL BLOOD-FLOW IN THE PRETERM INFANT

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the regional distribution of the resting cerebral blood flow (CBF) pattern in preterm neonates. Six ty-eight preterm babies with a gestational age of less than 34 weeks a nd a birth weight of less than 1500 g were enrolled into the study. Th e CBF was measured by the noninvasive intravenous (133)Xenon method at three different times. Depending on the age we classified our measure ments into three groups. Group 1: measurement between 2-36 h (n = 46). Group 2: measurement between 36-108 h (n = 39). Group 3: measurement between 108-240 h (n = 41). In all three groups CBF was significantly lower in the occipital region than in the frontal and parietal regions (group 1: frontal region 12.8 +/- 3.5 ml/100 g/min, parietal region 1 2.8 +/- 3.9 ml/100 mg/min, and occipital region 11.6 +/- 3.18 ml/100 g /min; group 2: frontal region 15.4 +/- 4.2 ml/100 g/min, parietal regi on 15.3 +/- 4.1 ml/100 g/min, and occipital region 13.4 +/- 3.5 ml/100 g/min; group 3: frontal region 14.6 +/- 3.6 ml/100 g/min, parietal re gion 14.6 +/- 3.2 ml/100 g/min, and occipital region 12.8 +/- 2.7 ml/1 00 g/min.). CBF did not differ between the left and the right hemisphe res in either of the three measured regions. No gradient was found in infants between 108 h and 240 h of age with periventrivular leukomalac ia and periventricular haemorrhage. Conclusion In preterm neonates the antero-posterior gradient of CBF is already present. Periventrivular leukomalacia as well as periventricular haemorrhage may affect the reg ional regulation of CBE