Is the late preterm infant more vulnerable to gray matter injury than the term infant?

This article addresses the issue of whether the late preterm infant is more susceptible to gray matter injury induced by hypoxia-ischemia than the term infant. Although different gray matter regions display varying patterns of neuronal injury in the face of hypoxiaischemia during advancing gestational development, little is known about the specific patterns of injury faced by the late preterm infant. This changing pattern of neuronal vulnerability with age likely reflects developmental changes of susceptibility and protective factors essential for responding to energy deprivation at the molecular, cellular, biochemical, and vascular levels. Future research involving closer examination of the late preterm period is essential to provide a greater understanding of the neuronal vulnerability in the face of hypoxic-ischemic injury.