Proposing a care practice bundle for neonatal encephalopathy during therapeutic hypothermia

Neonates with neonatal encephalopathy (NE) often present with multi-organ dysfunction that requires multidisciplinary specialized management. Care of the neonate with NE is thus complex with interaction between the brain and various organ systems. Illness severity during the first days of birth, and not only during the initial hypoxia-ischemia event, is a significant predictor of adverse outcomes in neonates with NE treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH). We thus propose a care practice bundle dedicated to support the injured neonatal brain that is based on the current best evidence for each organ system. The impact of using such bundle on outcomes in NE remains to be demonstrated.