Research conducted and supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) continuously seeks to uncover new clues about cerebral palsy (CP). Investigators from the NINDS and the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program (CBDMP) presented data suggesting that very low birth weight babies have a decreased incidence of CP when their mothers are treated with magnesium sulfate soon before giving birth. The results of this study, which were based on observations of a group of children born in four Northern California counties, were published in the February 1995 issue of Pediatrics.*

Low birthweight babies are 100 times more likely to develop CP than normal birthweight infants. If further research confirms the study's findings, use of magnesium sulfate may prevent 25 percent of the cases of CP in the approximately 52,000 low birth weight babies born each year in the United States. Magnesium is a natural compound that is responsible for numerous chemical processes within the body and brain. Obstetricians in the United States often administer magnesium sulfate, an inexpensive form of the compound, to pregnant women to prevent preterm labor and high blood pressure brought on by pregnancy. The drug, administered intravenously in the hospital, is considered safe when given under medical supervision.

Scientists speculate that magnesium may play a role in brain development and possibly prevent bleeding inside the brains of preterm infants. Previous research has shown that magnesium may protect against brain bleeding in very premature infants. Animal studies have demonstrated that magnesium given after a traumatic brain injury can reduce the severity of brain damage. Despite these encouraging research findings, pregnant women should not change their magnesium intake because the effects of high doses have not yet been studied and the possible risks and benefits are not known. Researchers caution that more research will be required to establish a definitive relationship between the drug and prevention of the disorder. Clinical trials now underway, one of them a collaboration between the NINDS and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, are evaluating magnesium for the prevention of cerebral palsy in prematurely born babies. Source: Nelson KB, and Grether JK. Can magnesium sulfate reduce the risk of cerebral palsy in very low birthweight infants? Pediatrics, February 1995, vol. 95, no. 2, page 263.

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MIXED RESULTS FOUND ON RECENT MAGNESIUM SULFATE TREATMENT TO PREVENT CEREBRAL PALSY

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Possible methods of preventing cerebral palsy in full-term and premature infants are suggested by two new studies reported in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association. Cerebral palsy is a group of chronic disorders that appear in the first few years of life. All of the disorders involve impaired body movement and stem from damage to the brain. For full-term infants, preventing chorioamnionitis, an infection of the membrane enclosing the fetus, or countering its effects may help prevent cerebral palsy, according to the first report. When a preterm infant is expected, treating the mother with a drug called magnesium sulfate before delivery may reduce the risk of cerebral palsy, the second report suggests. About half of all cerebral palsy cases involve full- or near-term infants. Although risk factors for cerebral palsy in such infants are unclear, recent reports have suggested an association with chorioamnionitis. To investigate, Dr. Yvonne W. Wu, from the University of California at San Francisco, and colleagues conducted a study of more than 230,000 infants who were full- or near-term at birth. The study compared the 109 infants identified with cerebral palsy with 218 infants randomly chosen from the study population. Chorioamnionitis was diagnosed in 14 percent of kids with cerebral palsy, but in only 4 percent of other children. Moreover, on further analysis, this pregnancy problem was a strong predictor of cerebral palsy, associated with a fourfold increased risk. The authors estimate that about 11 percent of cerebral palsy cases were related to chorioamnionitis. In the second study, Dr. Caroline A. Crowther, from The University of Adelaide in Australia, and colleagues looked at the ability of prenatal magnesium sulfate to reduce the risk of cerebral palsy or death in preterm infants. Previous studies have yielded conflicting results regarding the benefits of such therapy, but, until now, no large trials have tested magnesium sulfate given solely to protect the infant's brain. The study involved a total of 1062 pregnant women, at risk for preterm delivery, who were treated with intravenous magnesium sulfate or saline before delivery. In all cases, delivery was planned or expected within the next 24 hours. Infants in the magnesium sulfate group were slightly less likely to die or have cerebral palsy than infants in the control group. However, magnesium sulfate did seem to offer substantial protection against serious movement problems. "These two important studies as well as other studies provide hope that the risk of cerebral palsy can be reduced among both preterm and term infants," Dr. Jon E. Tyson and Dr. Larry C. Gilstrap, from the University of Texas Medical School in Houston, note in a related editorial. "Performance of well-designed research to prevent this often devastating condition deserves highest priority," they add. Source: Journal of the American Medical Association, November 26, 2003Tocolytic Therapy Studies of the use of ritodrine, terbutaline, hexoprenaline,magnesium sulfate, prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors, calcium-channel blockers, and oxytocin antagonists may provide alternative choices for the treatment of preterm labor associated with neonatal morbidity and mortality. Each of the medications has advantages and disadvantages at different stages of gestation. More Information about Cerebral Palsy and Magnesium Sulfate / Tocolytic Therapy can be found in "Tocolytic treatment for the management of preterm labor: A review of the evidence," by Nancy D. Berkman, Ph.D., John M. Thorp, Jr., M.D., Dr. Lohr, and others, in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology 88(6), pp. 1648-1659, 2003

* Please note that all material contained herein is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice or instruction. Consult your health care professional for advice relating to a medical problem or condition.

CEREBRAL PALSY LAWSUIT EVALUATION - TALK TO AN ATTORNEY

If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and you believe that your child’s cerebral palsy could have been prevented by tocolytic therapy, magnesium sulfate therapy or other medical treatments to prevent or reduce cerebral palsy, then call us for a Free & Confidential Consultation. Talk to a Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer at 1-800-883-9858 or click here for a Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit Evaluation Form