Hypoperfusion of the brainstem during @entity717 may be a risk factor for the development of @entity6884 . On this background we established a Doppler sonographic screening programme of the basilar cerebral arteries to evaluate the dependency of blood flow on head and body position. @entity1 AND METHOD: We investigated 3840 newborns (1872 @entity1 and 1968 @entity1 ) with a birth weight of 3399 +/- 497 g and a gestational age of 39.2 +/- 1.4 weeks. The investigations were performed in the neonatal period with an average age of 4.7 +/- 3 days. In all @entity1 blood flow was measured in the basilar artery (BA) in supine position with the head in the midline. From the flow profile peak systolic flow velocity Vs and time average flow velocity @entity16491 were measured. Additionally flow measurements were performed in supine and prone position with rotation of the head to the right and left side. A decrease of blood flow velocities below 50% of the value in neutral position was considered to be abnormal. Retrograde or biophasic flow profiles during rotation were considered to be pathologic. In @entity1 with abnormal or pathologic flow during rotation of the head flow measurements in the vertebral arteries (VA) were additionally performed. Blood flow velocities in the VA were measured in supine and prone position with the head in the midline position and after rotation to the right and to the left. In neutral position unilateral @entity3574 , @entity3894 and normal VA were differentiated. The judgement after rotation was performed such as in the BA. RESULTS: In 3807 @entity1 (99.14%) blood flow velocities during @entity717 did not decrease below 50% of the value measured in neutral position. In 33 @entity1 (0.86%) a decrease of blood flow velocities below 50% could be found during rotation. In 7 @entity1 (0.18%) a pathologic flow could be found during @entity717 . 27 of the 33 @entity1 with abnormal and pathologic blood flow in the BA during rotation showed anatomic abnormalities of the VA. 20 of these @entity1 (61%) had unilateral @entity3574 (11 right, 9 left side), 7 (21%) had unilateral vertebral @entity3894 (4 right, 3 left side). 32 of the 33 @entity1 with abnormal flow in the BA showed a decrease of blood flow in the contralateral VA during @entity717 . 9 @entity1 had an abnormal, 19 a pathologic flow within the contralateral VA. In 4 @entity1 the corresponding VA could not be measured during @entity717 . The decrease of blood flow velocities in the BA during @entity717 was caused by compression of the contralateral VA at the craniocervical junction. CONCLUSION: Blood flow within the basilar artery of healthy @entity1 is independent of body position and rotation of the head. A decrease of the flow velocities below 50% during rotation has to be considered as an abnormality. The incidence of pathologic blood flow during @entity717 with 1.8@1000 approximates the incidence of @entity6884 . Hypoperfusion of the brainstem during @entity717 may be a risk factor of @entity6884 .

[Ischemia of the brain stem caused by compression of the vertebral arteries by @entity717 --an etiology for XXXX ?].

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['PATIENTS', 'infants', 'girls', 'boys'] @entity16491 :: ('12315', 'Species') :: ['TAV'] @entity3574 :: ('OMIM:277300', 'Disease') :: ['vertebral hypoplasia'] @entity6884 :: ('MESH:D013398', 'Disease') :: ['SIDS'] @entity717 :: ('MESH:D009069', 'Disease') :: ['head rotation'] @entity3894 :: ('MESH:C563261', 'Disease') :: ['aplasia']
@entity6884 :: (MESH:D013398,Disease) :: ['SIDS']
