Guide To The Causes And Risk Factors Of Periventricular Leukomalacia

Periventricular leukomalacia is a type of injury incurred to the brain of infants born prematurely or at a low weight. Periventricular leukomalacia occurs when the delicate brain tissues that sit around the ventricles die due to one or more acute mechanisms. This delicate brain tissue is called white matter, and white matter is the tissue responsible for the production of myelin, a fatty substance that covers and protects the nerve axons, allowing impulses to travel from one nerve to the next in a smooth manner. Individuals affected by periventricular leukomalacia have nerves that cannot conduct electrical signals properly because they are unprotected and uninsulated. This malfunction causes problems with the nervous system and healthy development.

There are several possible causes and risk factors of periventricular leukomalacia. Learn about them now.

Hypoxia Or Ischemia

A periventricular leukomalacia patient may have experienced hypoxia and ischemia. Brain ischemia refers to a condition where there is not enough blood flowing to the brain to give the brain tissues an adequate amount of oxygen. Hypoxia of the brain is a condition where there is not enough oxygen reaching the tissues in the brain. Ischemia always causes hypoxia in the affected tissues, but hypoxia of the tissues can be caused by mechanisms other than ischemia. Any mechanism that causes an infant to have reduced blood flow to the brain can cause periventricular leukomalacia, such as having the umbilical cord around the neck during birth, pressure compression to the blood vessels supplying the infant's brain, and blood clots lodged in the vessels supplying the infant's brain with blood. Any mechanism that causes an infant to have poor oxygen saturation in the blood flowing to their brain can cause the injury of periventricular leukomalacia, such as maternal anemia, underdeveloped lungs, neonatal congenital heart disease, neonatal cardiovascular collapse, shoulder dystocia, and placental insufficiency.

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Hypotension

An unborn child who's mother experiences hypotension before or during the birthing process may develop periventricular leukomalacia as a complication of the maternal condition. Hypotension is a blood pressure of less than 90/60. Low blood pressure throughout an individual's pregnancy causes reduced blood flow to the unborn child, which results in a reduced amount of oxygen and nutrient delivery. Ischemia-precipitated periventricular leukomalacia can occur in unborn children when the mother experiences hypotension throughout their pregnancy. Hypotension is also a common occurrence when a pregnant woman is in the process of giving birth, which may also cause an unborn child to experience a brain injury. Most cases of maternal hypotension during labor are related to the use of spinal anesthesia and the position of the mother when the spinal anesthesia is administered. Hypotension-precipitated periventricular leukomalacia can also occur in the affected individual following their birth. Hypotension is most common in neonates who have a heart infection, sepsis, loss of blood, problems with adrenal glands, patent ductus arteriosus, and abnormal heartbeats. Hypotension can also be caused in a neonate when a ventilator is required because of increased pressure in the chest.

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