CEREBRAL PALSY NEWS
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"Arthritis Drug Celecoxib May Help Prevent Brain Damage in Preemies"
May 22, 2007
The arthritis pain reliever celecoxib might reduce the risk of the most common cause of brain damage in premature babies, according to a new study published in the April issue of Nature Medicine magazine. Celecoxib may help treat part of the premature brain that is extremely vulnerable to bleeding, a problem that affects approximately 12,000 babies in the U.S. each year, many of whom are then left with cerebral palsy, seizures, or mental retardation.
Celecoxib to Treat the Germinal Matrix
The germinal matrix is a temporary brain structure that is the “birthplace” of all brain cells in an infant. At about 36 weeks of gestation, its job is finished and it starts to shrink. When a baby is born prematurely, the germinal matrix is subjected to high blood flow and blood pressure that it’s not built to withstand. If the blood vessels break and bleed, the supply of oxygen carried by the blood to the brain tissue can be cut off, damaging the brain and resulting in conditions such as cerebral palsy.
The research team led by neonatologist Praveen Ballabh, M.D. at New York Medical College found that celecoxib could make the germinal matrix stronger and less vulnerable to bleeding. The study’s results are based on brain studies of babies who died prematurely and on findings with newborn rabbits.
Preventing Lifelong Complications from Oxygen Loss
Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, one of the study’s authors, explained that, "Stabilizing the blood vessels right before the baby is born is a tremendous opportunity to save the baby from potentially lifelong complications." As all OB/Gyns know, the best way to prevent bleeds in infants is to take every possible action to allow the pregnancy to go to the full term, preventing preterm labor. However, when preterm labor cannot be prevented, celecoxib may be a useful tool to prevent bleeds in the germinal matrix.
“This work is very exciting, but the work is ongoing, and we must investigate the use of celecoxib more thoroughly before considering it for widespread use to prevent this problem,” says Dr. Ballabh. “We can fix many problems in the premature infant, but brain damage is one problem that cannot be fixed – it must be prevented. Right now there is nothing available that has been shown to be really effective at preventing this problem.”
(Source: The Post Chronicle)
Does your child have cerebral palsy due to a germinal matrix bleed or another adverse birth event? You can contact an attorney who is knowledgeable about cerebral palsy issues, and set up a consultation to explore your legal options.
