Preterm arterial ischemic stroke

Most studies about perinatal arterial ischemic stroke (PAIS) exclude preterm infants. In a prospectively studied hospital-based population, 42% of our 73 newborn infants with PAIS had a gestational age (GA) ≤36 weeks. PAIS was present on the left in 61% of the preterm infants and bilateral in 7%. The middle cerebral artery (MCA) was most often affected. Involvement of the lenticulostriate branches was common among preterm infants with GA of 28–32 weeks, and involvement of the MCA main branch was seen in almost all with a GA>33 weeks. Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, fetal heart rate abnormality and hypoglycemia were independent risk factors. No maternal risk factors could be identified.