Pathology of perinatal brain damage: background and oxidative stress markers

Purpose: To review historical scientific background and new perspective on the pathology of perinatal brain damage. The relationship between birth asphyxia and subsequent cerebral palsy has been extensively investigated. The role of new and promising clinical markers of oxidative stress (OS) is presented. Methods: Electronic search of PubMed-Medline/EMBASE database has been performed. Laboratory and clinical data involving case series from the research group are reported. Results: The neuropathology of birth asphyxia and subsequent perinatal brain damage as well as the role of electronic fetal monitoring are reported following a review of the medical literature. Conclusions: This review focuses on OS mechanisms underlying the neonatal brain damage and provides different perspective on the most reliable OS markers during the perinatal period. In particular, prior research work on neurodevelopmental diseases, such as Rett syndrome, suggests the measurement of oxidized fatty acid molecules (i.e., F4-Neuroprostanes and F2-Dihomo-Isoprostanes) closely related to brain white and gray matter oxidative damage. © 2014 Springer-Verlag.