Biomarkers Study in Infants With Prior Neonatal Brain Injury

Early Biomarkers Study for Prediction of Executive Dysfunction and Cognitive Outcomes Among Infants With Prior Neonatal Brain Injury

This research focuses on the long-term cognitive development of children, including healthy infants and those who had a perinatal brain injury. As part of this research study, children complete in-person games and assessments at UW-Madison University Hospital. Children will also take part in an EEG assessment. Parents will be asked to fill out questionnaires about their child's behavior and stress in the home.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Child-parent dyads will be recruited to the study.

• Children 3-24 months with and without a history of a perinatal brain injury (PBI) will be included in this study.

• Children with PBIs will include:

  • Children diagnosed during the neonatal period with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy,
  • Children born at a premature gestational age (born at less than 32 weeks gestational age).
  • Children diagnosed with cerebral palsy

• Healthy control participants meeting inclusion criteria will include:

  • healthy infants with no prior neurological (brain disorder) history

• For all parents: the only research inclusion criteria is to be the parent or legal guardian of a newborn with perinatal brain injury or healthy control participant.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Healthy infants to be included in the control group will not have:

  • a prior history of brain injury
  • a diagnosis of cerebral palsy
  • a history of a neurological disorder
  • prior admission to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

• Children with chromosomal abnormalities, genetic syndromes and major congenital malformations will be excluded from both the patient groups and the control group.

• Parents will have no exclusionary criteria.