A federally funded study found that using chilled blankets immediately after birth reduces the risk of cerebral palsy and infant death.
The study charted survival rates of children born with birth trauma, mainly lack of oxygen during birth (hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, a.k.a HIE). Doctors studied 208 births in various hospitals across the country. Doctors identified children with HIE within six hours of their birth and administered either traditional treatments or a cooling blanket. Cold water circulates through the blanket, cooling the newborn’s temperature.
Researchers found that newborns in the traditional treatment group had a mortality rate of 44 percent, while newborns given the chilled blanket treatment (called hypothermia) had a mortality rate of 28 percent. They were also less likely to develop conditions usually associated with traumatic birth, such as cerebral palsy, limited motor function, vision problems and epilepsy.
The hypothermia treatment is standard practice at many hospitals. The study expands upon a similar study with a smaller sample size and a shorter time span. Here, researchers tracked the infants for several years after birth. Researcher Seetha Shankaran of Wayne State University said he was satisfied with the results.
“It’s reassuring to see that the benefits of this practice, which have been widely documented at 18 months or two years of age, are apparent as these children grow,” he said.
The National Institutes of Health and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Neonatal Research Network funded the study.
This is another example of measures doctors can take to prevent cerebral palsy. If your child was born with cerebral palsy, you may be able to take legal action against responsible parties. Contact the birth trauma lawyers at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP today for a free consultation.
Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP – cerebral palsy attorneys
