In this educational article and supporting voice talk we will discuss two types of HIE injuries. For many parents who are dealing with an HIE diagnosis it can all be confusing to understand initially. The point of this post is to simplify a complex topic so that it is understood at its basic level.
As always, if this is something that you are dealing with currently it is ok to have the doctors and medical professionals explain these issues in ways that are easier to understand.
Two Types Of HIE Injuries
HIE or hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy is a type of traumatic brain injury in which there is a reduction in blood and oxygen which can lead a baby to suffer a brain injury. There can be multiple causes of an HIE injury. For example, if there are genetic issues present then this can cause an HIE injury. In addition to genetics, development issues can manifest and lead to an HIE injury. Finally, birth trauma caused by the actions or in-action of medical providers can lead to an HIE injury.
For this video, we are not focusing on the cause of the HIE injury, but the types that can be identified through imaging. Imaging interpretation can be done by a medical doctor called a neuroradiologist. These experts can understand how these injuries reveal themselves in the brain imaging.
The first pattern that can be seen is called an acute HIE injury. An acute injury can be categorized as a cut off of blood and oxygen. These types of injuries can happen quickly and usually take from 10-25 minutes.
On the other hand, a partial prolonged injury is the opposite of an acute injury. A partial prolonged injury is where there is not a complete cut off of oxygenated blood, but there is a reduction, which can lead to injury. A partial prolonged injury takes time and usually takes 30 minutes and usually over an hour.
When an HIE injury occurs, a baby can have either one of these types of injury patterns or a combination of both. As was stated earlier, imaging studies can help doctors understand the type of injury.
Thanks for reading from your friends at HIE Resource Place.