Cervical spinal cord atrophy in the atraumatically born neonate: one form of prenatal or perinatal ischaemic insult?

After atraumatic birth, three neonates presented with muscle hypotonia and weakness. Flaccid paresis of the upper extremities, spasticity of the lower extremities, dissociate sensory loss and autonomic dysfunction developed later. This ruled out the initial, tentative diagnoses of cerebral palsy, spinal muscular atrophy or hereditary neuropathy. Diagnostic imaging revealed marked thinning of the cervical spinal cord in all patients. The possible aetiology of these lesions is considered. In all cases, an antenatal or perinatal infarction is thought to be the most probable cause. Different clinical pictures following intrauterine spinal cord ischemia are discussed. Spinal cord lesion must be considered even after atraumatic birth.