Symptoms of hypoxic encephalopathy

Symptoms of hypoxic encephalopathy are more common in infants and young children, and may include impaired consciousness, drowsiness, increased, weakened or loose muscle tone, and some patients may also experience epileptic seizures. Parents should pay attention to the symptoms of their children and take care to handle them correctly.

(I) Most of them are full-term infants of appropriate gestational age with a history of obvious intrauterine distress or intrapartum asphyxia (Apgar score <3 at 1 minute and <6 at 5 minutes, spontaneous breathing only after 10 minutes of rescue, or requiring endotracheal intubation with positive pressure breathing for more than 2 minutes).

(2) Impairment of consciousness is an important manifestation of this disease. Abnormal neurological symptoms appear immediately after birth and last for more than 24 hours. Mild cases only cause irritability or drowsiness; severe cases cause decreased consciousness, coma, or stupor.

(III) Signs of cerebral edema are characteristic of perinatal HIE, including a full anterior fontanelle, suture separation, and increased head circumference.

(IV) Convulsions: more common in moderate and severe cases. Convulsions can be atypical focal or multifocal, clonic or tonic-myoclonic. The number of attacks varies, but most occur within 24 hours after birth. The incidence of sequelae increases significantly for those who develop attacks within 24 hours.

(V) Increased, weakened or loose muscle tone. Seizures may occur.

(6) Abnormal primitive reflexes: such as overactive, weakened or absent hug reflex. The sucking reflex is weakened or absent.