University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey 2007 Study documents Widespread Repair of Neonatal Brain Injury from Adult Stem Cells - Neuroscientists at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School have discovered that the neonatal brain possesses a previously unknown capacity to replace damaged neurons in multiple brain regions. Furthermore, their research reveals that the production of these new neurons lasts for at least five months following injury.Levison's study reveals that in addition to neurons acquiring new or different responsibilities, that another adaptive response, one that has not been suspected, occurs. Their data show that large numbers of new neurons are produced from the brain's resident stem cells during their recovery from injury. These findings suggest that these new neurons are further increasing the infant brain's ability to repair itself after injury.
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
Acute birth asphyxia is a cause of death and neurological injury. At present, there is no proven treatment; however, studies in animals suggest that brain cooling may protect against brain injury. This large multicenter trial will randomize term infants with a history of problems at delivery and signs of depression to total body cooling or standard care.
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.
In large, multicenter clinical studies, a therapy has been shown to significantly lower the risk of lung and brain damage in some very low birthweight premature infants. Results from two randomized clinical trials demonstrate that when given within the first few weeks of life, inhaled nitric oxide helps prevent chronic lung disease in some low birthweight premature infants. In addition, when used within 48 hours after birth, treatment appears to protect some premature newborns from brain injury.
Study sponsored by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development NICHD will evaluate the effects of giving magnesium to premature infants.
NICHD, NIH, Sponored and American Academy of Pediatrics, and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists co-sponsored study and Report of the Workship on Acute Perinatal Asphyxia in Term Infants.
Trakya University School of Medicine, Turkey study to evaluate the impact of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) on morbidity and mortality of newborn infants with perinatal asphyxia. The study concluded that after Neonatal resuscitation (RP) courses, the number of patients with perinatal asphyxia and with no resuscitation and also the duration of hospitalization decreased significantly, whereas the first minute Apgar scores increased significantly.
Clinical trial being sponsored by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development NICHD to evaluate whether induced whole-body hypothermia initiated between 6-24 hours of age and continued for 96 hours in infants ≥ 36 weeks gestational age with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy will reduce the incidence of death or disability at 18-24 months of age.
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.