The objectives of this population study were to determine the incidence of moderate/severe hypoxicischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in term newborns in British Columbia and identify sociodemographic and health care delivery factors associated with the development of HIE.

All term infants born within a three year period who had discharge diagnostic codes suggestive of HIE (seizures, cerebral irritability or depression, severe birth asphyxia, Apgar <4 at 1 minute, feeding difficulties, aspiration) were identified from a provincial database (“Hospital Programs”). Inclusion criteria included birth weight≥ 2500g, hospital stay > 5 days, no congenital CNS abnormality. Hospital records of identified infants were reviewed independently for the presence and severity of HIE by a neonatologist (BL) and pediatric neurologist (ER) using criteria modified from Sarnat et al. Demographic data: maternal age, ethnicity, region of residence, size of centre of birth, and complications of pregnancy and delivery, etc were analyzed.

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