Serum creatine-kinase-BB and brain damage in high-risk newborn infants. Preliminary study with a new method for CK-BB estimation.

CK-BB activity increases after hypoxic conditions associated with central nervous system disease. Fifty-four high-risk newborn babies were studied with serial measurements of CK-BB activities during the first 3 postnatal days. These values were correlated to their early neurologic outcome at 5 months of age. Data were carried out using a new and very sensitive method for estimating CK-BB activity and showed a good correlation between enzymatic values and the presence of persistent neurologic abnormalities (P less than .05). We conclude that early CK-BB determinations can be used as indicator of neonatal brain damage.