Research Provides New Links Between Brain Injuries And Premature Birth
At a Society for Neuroscience meeting this past week, researchers reported new evidence concerning premature infant brain injuries and why they are so common, along with strategies to prevent and in some cases, repair the brain damage. Researchers hope that this information will be used to reduce the number of premature infant injuries that lead to the development of epilepsy, cerebral palsy and behavioral disorders such as ADHD.
Because of advances in neonatal medicine, the number of premature babies surviving has increased over the last decade. Although in many instances a premature delivery cannot be prevented, other times known factors exists that a doctor can identify to predict a premature baby. A failure to diagnose these factors or misdiagnose them can lead to an unnecessary premature birth. In either situation, proper medical procedures need to be followed to ensure the baby does not suffer harm as the result of an early delivery. The failure of a doctor, nurse or other health care professional to take appropriate action may constitute medical malpractice. If you believe your child was born prematurely and suffered harm, it is important to consult with an experienced California birth injury lawyer to evaluate the circumstances and provide you advice concerning your next steps.
Unfortunately, one of the consequences of a premature birth is infant brain damage. While deaths of prematurely born infants has decreased, the incidence of brain damage remains high. In fact, as stated by the chief of neonatology at the University of San Francisco, David Rowitch, the “overall rates of cerebral palsy and other neurodevelopmental disabilities are on the rise.” Rowitch explains “The most common cause of brain injury in premature infants is a lack of oxygen in the days and weeks after birth … the lack of oxygen damages white matter, which provides the ‘communication highways’ that carry messages around the brain to distant parts of the body.”
Research shows that it’s critically important to act as soon as possible after a brain injury is detected in order to repair the damage. One such method is brain cooling. Other approaches include magnetic stimulation to certain areas of the brain. Recent drug studies on mice have also shown benefit.
Because “white matter injuries” occur in other areas such as multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain, and spinal cord injuries researches hope that the kind of therapy that is shown to work for premature babies can be applied to these other diseases.
As San Francisco birth injury lawyers, we are hopeful that the incidence of preventable brain injuries decreases and are encouraged by reports of new methods to help those harmed at birth.
For more information, or if you believe your infant was injured as the result of medical malpractice, contact the California birth injury attorneys at Bostwick & Peterson, LLP for a confidential consultation.
