On line cerebral blood flow velocity and blood pressure measurement in neonates: a new method.

To test the hypothesis that impairment of cerebral perfusion and cerebrovascular autoregulation play a part in the pathogenesis of neurological injury in the critically sick neonate, we tested in 33 infants a small, light-weight probe and cable that are attached to the infant's skin to record cerebral blood flow velocity from the middle cerebral artery over a period of hours. This considerably reduced the amount of handling of the infant compared with conventional assessment. Captured data were analysed and displayed graphically at the cotside. The system is applicable for use on infants over a wide range of gestational ages and may give information on the complex haemodynamic changes occurring in the cerebral circulation.