Infant brain damage reduced by cooling treatment finds UK study

October 11, 2009 by Shawn Douglas
Filed under: Baby Health, News

Infant brain damage caused by accidental asphyxiation at birth in hospitals can often be averted when the infant is cooled 3 C to 4 C below normal for 72 hours.

One of the things a doctor fears most while aiding a woman giving birth is birth asphyxiation. Every year, more than 1000 babies in the U.K. are affected by this unfortunate condition.

“Birth asphyxia is a very important problem, even in the UK which has a fantastic obstetric service,” said Dr. Denis Azzopardi of Imperial College, London. “Cases still occur, and there are about 1,400 infants born with birth asphyxia each year in the UK. Worldwide it is a huge problem.”

Dr. Azzopardi is the lead researcher for a recently published study that concluded if newborn babies suffer oxygen deprivation during birth, they have better odds of surviving unharmed if their brains are cooled immediately after birth. The research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, is based on over 20 years of research data, and focused on treatments rendered on babies born with the condition.

The study found that for maximum effect, the baby had to begin within six hours of birth, and the cooling process had to be maintained for 72 hours before being warmed again. Constant cooling was provided by a fluid-filled cooling blanket placed under the baby while inside an incubator without power applied to it.

The researchers concluded that while the treatment “did not significantly reduce the combined rate of death or severe disability but resulted in improved neurologic outcomes in survivors.”

“It is not a new concept. The rationale is relatively simple. But of all the treatments for brain damage tried, cooling has proved the most effective,” Dr Azzopardi said.

The research isn’t entirely new. During the 19th century, cooling treatment was conducted on soldiers that suffered head injuries. Additionally, some attempts at resuscitation of babies in the 1950s were made by placing them in very cold water. The researchers also reference a 2007 study of 638 infants that showed cooling “reduces death or disability, without increasing disability in survivors.”