Ischemic Perinatal Stroke: Challenge and Opportunities

Abstract

The second highest risk group for developing a cerebral stroke is the perinatal period, generally defined as 20 weeks of gestation through 28th postnatal day of age. In this commentary, a brief overview of ischemic perinatal strokes is presented. Ischemic perinatal stroke (IPS) occurs at a rate of 1: 2300 to 1:5000 births, accounting for 30% of children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP). Thus, IPS is the most common known cause for CP [1–3]. Although they occur frequently, much remains to be studied about perinatal strokes in general and the ischemic variety in particular.