Babies that are born premature need su pport in order to survive. The more preterm they are the more support they’ll need, and the more delicate the balance between support and damage due to the support becomes. Oxygen is a part of the support these preterm neonates receive, and although it might sound unlikely, oxygen is one of the more dangerous drugs given to preterm neonates. Because of an under developed defense against oxygen free radicals, an excessive amount of oxygen can permanently damage vital organs.

There are a few ways to measure the amount of oxygen inside the bloodstream, but only one that gives an insight to the oxygen need and availability inside the brain. Near infra-red spectroscopy (NIRS) is a noninvasive measurement to determine the oxygen saturation of the underlying tissue. It is based on the difference in absorption of different wavelengths of light, because of the percentage of oxygen that is bound to red blood cells.

The problem is that the cerebral oxygen saturation that is determent by NIRS is influenced by a large number of parameters. This makes the clinical use of NIRS a challenge, because all the changes need to be taken into account. The goal of the research is to determine the influence of each of these parameters on the cerebral oxygenation, so that a model can be made to aid clinical decision making.

The research is initiated by the Erasmus Medical Center – Sophia Children’s Hospital. Patient data from patients currently admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit will be available for analysis, and can be discussed with the clinical staff of the department, in order to determine the sensitivity of NIRS.

For more information please contact Jenny Dankelman or Tom Goos. (t.goos@erasmusmc.nl).