A recent Scary Mommy article put a November 2018 study in the spotlight regarding the benefits of intranasal breast milk administration in infants with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) (1,2). What is intraventricular hemorrhage? Intraventricular hemorrhages, or brain bleeds, happen when there is bleeding within the brain’s ventricular system. IVH can result from oxygen deprivation at birth…
Cerebral palsy (CP) exists in a variety of different forms, and its symptoms vary significantly from person to person. For instance, while people with severe CP may need a wheelchair to help them get around, people with mild CP might be able to walk just fine on their own (1). All people with CP experience…
Babies with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) often experience respiratory problems. Because of this, they may require assistance with breathing after birth. This can be done through the urgent method of resuscitation, or the more long-term assistance of inhaled nitric acid, high-frequency ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) (1). These long-term practices are commonly used for neonates…
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a brain injury caused by insufficient oxygenated blood flow to the brain at or near the time of delivery. There are many potential causes of HIE, including high-risk pregnancy conditions, labor and delivery issues, and medical mistakes. Recent studies have sought to find connections between placental and umbilical cord issues and…
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a type of newborn brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation during or around the time of birth, has been linked to a variety of pregnancy conditions. Inna Skarga-Bandurova and colleagues in the Ukraine recently published a study on risk factors for chronic fetal hypoxia (i.e. long-term oxygen deprivation). They analyzed data from…
Recent studies in rats indicate that resveratrol (RESV), a natural polyphenol compound, may be useful in minimizing brain damage from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Studies of resveratrol’s neurological benefits This study, published in November, showed the surprising neuroprotective benefits of resveratrol (1). In the study, 48 seven-day-old rats were broken up into four groups, all of…
Hypothermia therapy, or brain cooling, is the standard treatment for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). It can reduce the extent of permanent brain damage if given very shortly after birth or the oxygen-depriving incident (within six hours, though there may be some benefit from the therapy up to 24 hours). Using a cooling cap or blanket, the…
What Is Therapeutic Hypothermia? Therapeutic hypothermia has proven effectiveness in minimizing permanent brain damage after hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, or HIE. HIE is a type of brain injury caused by a lack of oxygenated blood flow. In infants, it can occur due to complications in late pregnancy, birth, or the neonatal period. What Do We Already Know…
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a type of birth injury that occurs when an baby’s brain is deprived of oxygenated blood at or around the time of birth. HIE is a major cause of neurological damage in term and near-term infants, and accounts for about 25% of deaths during the neonatal period. Even short durations of…
Cell transplantation is a promising new avenue for treating cerebral palsy (CP). Previous research has shown that stem cell therapy can help children with cerebral palsy; a study published this month indicates that treatment with macrophages may also be effective. Essentially, macrophages are cells that can repair damaged brain tissue and blood vessels, thereby enhancing…
