Science Daily - Souce of the latest research news - Science News - Better Prognosis for Children Born with Sevree Acute Asphyxia Science Daily (May 22, 2010)
New England Journal of Medicine abstract of study to evaluate the effects of induction of moderate hypothermia in infants who had perinatal asphyxia. Study concluded that Induction of moderate hypothermia for 72 hours in infants who had perinatal asphyxia did not significantly reduce the combined rate of death or severe disability but resulted in improved neurologic outcomes in survivors. (Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN89547571 [controlled-trials.com] .)
NIH PubMed Abstract of University of Maryland study reviewing the physiology of acid-base balance and fetal gas exchange as well as the current scientific understanding of the role of intrauterine asphyxia in the pathophysiology of neonatal excephalopathy and cerebral palsy.
Canadian study to examine the roles of clinical risk scoring, electronic fetal heart monitoring and fetal blood gas and acid-base assessement in the prediction of intrapartum fetal asphyxia in term pregnancies. The study concluded that although fetal heart rate patterns will not discriminate all asphyxial exposures, continuous fetal heart rate monitoring supplemented by fetal blood gas and acid-base assessment can be a useful fetal assessment paradigm for intrapartum fetal asphyxia
Future planned study being conducted by the University of California to determine the safety and pharmacokinetics of moderate to high doses of erythropoietin in newborn infants with birth asphyxia.
Imperial College London sponsored trial in newborn infants with perinatal asphyxial encephalopathy assessing whether a combination of hypothermia and inhaled xenon preserve cerebral metabolism and structure.
Study sponsored by Imperial College London - Hypothesis: Study aims to determine whether whole body cooling to 33-34°C is a safe treatment that improves survival, without severe neurological or neurodevelopmental impairments at 18 months, of term infants
suffering perinatal asphyxial encephalopathy
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study to evaluate the safety of high-dose Erythropoietin (Epo) in infants who did not get enough oxygen during birth. Erythropoietin is a hormone normally found in the body that may protect brain cells from damage due to lack of oxygen.
NCBI PubMed.gov Abstract -Cerebral inflammatory response after fetal asphyxia and hyperoxic resuscitation in newborn sheep. Department of Pediatrics, Lund Uiversity, Sweden Publication
NICHD program focuses on developing research that links PCCR medicine and science to the epidemiology, prevention, and treatment of childhood disabilities. The effort sponsors competitive research on all aspects of PCCR-including critical analyses of outcomes for children who are survivors of trauma, congenital anomalies, neonatal asphyxia, infectious processes, septic shock, and many other less common, but still devastating hildhood processes. The PCCR program also provides support for the Pediatric Critical Care Scientist Development Program (PCCSDP) , a national faculty training and career development program that develops successful pediatric critical care physician scientists conducting research to enhance the scientific understanding, clinical management, and rehabilitation of pediatric critical illness.
Completed study sponsored by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development NICHD and conducted in two cities in Zambia to determine if the combined Neonatal Resuscitation Program/Essential Newborn Care Program compared to the new World Health Organization (W.H.O.) basic perinatal care education of health care providers (Essential Newborn Care Program) results in reduced mortality due to perinatal asphyxia
Completed Zhengzhou University study to investigate whether systemic hypothermia induced up to 10 hrs after birth would improve the neurodevelopmental outcome at 18 months in infants with moderate or severe HIE.
NCBI PubMed Abstract, Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Study involving piglets to determine whether the generation of superoxide anion occurs primarily during asphyxia or whether reventilation must take place, 2) to investigate the effects of indomethacin pretreatment at a therapeutic dose of 0.2 mg/kg i.v. on superoxide anion generation, and 3) to investigate the effects of oxypurinol, an oxygen free radical scavenger, on superoxide anion production during asphyxia/reventilation
Hundreds of babies in the world are being treated with brain cooling to prevent brain injury after they lose oxygen at birth. This study will use the newly developed information from the magnet resonance image to determine the actual temperature of the brain. This will enable researchers to determine if the brain is being uniformly cooled and if techniques that provide cooling need to be changed to improve the injury prevention from cooling
Objective of this study was to determine whether Apgar scores at 10 minutes are associated with death or disability in early childhood after perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
Article abstract of French study assessing neonatal outcomes after instrumental vaginal delivery. Many of the most severe neonatal complications are observed when perinatal asphyxia has occurred. Extractor types and quality of use under defined criteria are closely associated with neonatal adverse outcomes in operative vaginal delivery. Forceps deliveries are as safe as vacuum deliveries to the neonate. In conclusion, operative vaginal delivery performed for maternal or fetal reasons are associated with several neonatal adverse events, usually non specific and with a short term good prognosis.
Study to obtain pharmacokinetic and safety data of bumetanide in newborns with refractory seizures. The overall hypothesis is that bumetanide, added to conventional antiepileptic (antiseizure) medications, will be a safe and well tolerated medication, compared with conventional antiepileptic drugs alone.