A blood test can reveal the causes of brain damage in newborns – scientists
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A blood test can reveal the cause of brain damage in babies who experienced oxygen starvation before or during birth. This will speed up the diagnosis of the problem and help choose the right treatment.
Babies who survive oxygen starvation often suffer from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, which can lead to cerebral palsy, epilepsy, deafness or blindness, writes The Telegraph.
In a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open, scientists found that long-term oxygen starvation can occur due to maternal stress, poor nutrition, infection during pregnancy or as a result of bleeding in childbirth.
Helping a child with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy usually involves cooling the whole body – the use of therapeutic hypothermia. This procedure can help prevent death and disability.
| Photo: nenovbrothers/Depositphotos |
Before the development of therapeutic hypothermia, about a quarter of affected newborns likely died from lack of oxygen to the brain, while 75% of those who survived were at risk of serious disability, scientists said.
But, as scientists emphasize, in some cases this procedure increases the risk of mortality. Some babies don’t get better after cooling treatment, the research team says. This indicates that their brain injuries may have other causes.
A blood test can help establish them. Genetic markers will indicate the cause of brain damage. The findings could eventually lead to rapid diagnosis of brain injury in newborns and aid in treatment decisions.
Worldwide, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy is the leading cause of death and disability among children born at term. It affects about 3 million babies every year.
60% of all deaths related to hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy occur in South Asia, especially India.
Read also: Women with perinatal depression are more likely to commit suicide even years later, study finds
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