Stroke, Prenatal

A prenatal or fetal stroke is a vascular insult to the fetal brain that occurs between 20 weeks of gestation and the onset of labor and results in delivery. Strokes that occur after birth and up to 28 days of life are classified as perinatal strokes. Strokes that occur after 28 days of life and up to adulthood fall in the category of pediatric strokes. Throughout the lifespan, the risk of stroke is highest in the elderly and in the fetus or newborn infant. In both these populations, stroke is associated with heightened [Page 1582]risk of death or, in survivors, of persisting neurological disability.

Prenatal stroke has been associated with postnatal epilepsy, intellectual disability, and cerebral palsy; these conditions often become evident as the infant grows ...