New research suggests that two compounds developed at Northwestern University could possibly be used in the future to treat infants at risk for compromised oxygen levels before a c-section to prevent cerebral palsy.
About 750,000 adults and children in the United States have some form of cerebral palsy, which is caused by brain damage suffered before, during or immediately after birth. It has been estimated that about 3 in every 1,000 infants born, or about 0.3%, and approximately 10,000 infants and babies born in the United States are diagnosed with cerebral palsy each year.
A study published online by the journal Annals of Neurology, suggests that it may be possible to develop a medication in the future to help reduce the risk of cerebral palsy in humans.
Researchers developed two compounds that selectively inhibited an enzyme responsible for nitric oxide production in the brain. Hypoxia or low oxygen flow from mother to fetus causes an increase in nitric oxide levels and leads to brain damage and cerebral palsy.
The study tested the two compounds on rabbits to study the possible preventative strategy for cerebral palsy, and found that administering the compounds a half-hour prior to the hypoxic event did protect the fetus from brain damage.
Use of the compounds in humans is still a long way off, and some have questioned whether it is practical and what other effects may be caused by giving it to many babies who ultimately do not need it.
Read more about the research into preventing cerebral palsy.
