Oxygen deprivation at birth can have long-term affects, study finds

The joint Irish and Swedish research studied data from infants in Cork and Stockholm and found the impaired cognitive outcomes with even mild oxygen deprivation.

Oxygen deprivation at birth can have long-term affects, study finds

Babies who suffer oxygen deprivation at birth have impaired cognitive outcomes compared to children with uneventful deliveries, according to research revealed today.

The joint Irish and Swedish research studied data from infants in Cork and Stockholm and found the impaired cognitive outcomes with even mild oxygen deprivation.

The early delays can herald learning or behavioural difficulties which become more significant over time, according to the study from researchers at Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research (INFANT) based in UCC.

This study analysed data from 471 children recruited to research studies in Cork and Stockholm between 2007-2015. The study found that children with mild Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy (HIE) at birth have significantly lower cognitive composite scores than children with uneventful deliveries.

"The results from this study are significant," said INFANT Principal Investigator, UCC Professor Deirdre Murray.

Professor Deirdre Murray. Picture: UCC
Professor Deirdre Murray. Picture: UCC

Prof Murray, who is head of paediatrics and child health at Cork University Hospital explained:

In 471 children recruited across two different countries we saw the same pattern. At present, doctors who care for these newborns do not know whether to treat them or not.

"Our study has shown that their development at two years is significantly lower than expected.

"A large, adequately powered, trial is urgently needed to answer this question and to guide doctors in their care of infants with mild HIE,” Prof Murray added.

Lack of oxygen to the newborn brain affects almost 200 babies in Ireland each year and results in death or disability in over 1 million infants each year globally. It causes brain injury and can leave newborns with permanent neurological damage or cerebral palsy.

The findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics.

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