Prediction of the prognosis in neonatal asphyxia by photo-evoked eyelid microvibration.

Neonatal asphyxia causes hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and may damage the central nervous system. We studied neonatal asphyxia with photo-evoked eyelid microvibration (PEMV) which is a blink reflex elicited by photic stimuli. The latency of PEMV changed according to the severity of encephalopathy and the degree of unconsciousness. All of the neonate who had showed disappearance of PEMV died. When the prolonged latency persisted, the infant had a strong probability of sustaining neurological sequelae. PEMV provides useful information for predicting the outcome of neonatal asphyxia.