Caffeine is said to be particularly effective in treating brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen at birth, one of the leading causes of death in newborns.
- Suffering from birth asphyxia is one of the leading causes of death in newborn babies.
- Studies have shown that caffeine was more effective than treatment with hypothermia, a method currently advocated by doctors, in reducing brain damage after perinatal asphyxia.
- Further studies are needed before launching human tests.
An estimated 1 million infants die each year from perinatal asphyxia. Hypothermia – a method of lowering the baby’s body temperature to 33 degrees – is the only treatment that can prevent complications from lack of oxygen. However, this method is struggling to establish itself in the world. It is in this context that researchers from the University of Bonn and the German Center for Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) undertook a study aimed at finding new treatment options for newborns suffering from brain damage due to to a lack of oxygen at birth.
Caffeine reduces the risk of brain damage linked to perinatal asphyxia
To find an easier-to-deliver drug option, scientists using previous work identified 25 active agents with the potential to treat brain damage caused by birth asphyxia. As part of their study, they tested these substances on animals. Seven days after oxygen deprivation and taking the treatment, the animals’ brains were examined to determine any damage caused by the brain lesions. This step made it possible to evaluate the effectiveness of each agent and to select the best performers.
Conclusion of the study published in Scientific Reports : caffeine treatment was the most effective. The loss of brain material was the lowest and also much less than with cold treatment.
“Caffeine is known to have anti-inflammatory effects. Our study proves that caffeine is also extremely neuroprotective“explains in a communicated the teacher hemen Saber, lead author of the research. Six other items had better results than hypothermia. These include the hormone melatonin, a gout medication, an allergy killer, and fish oil.
Lack of oxygen at birth: caffeine could be a simple treatment
During the study, the first dose of some test agents – including caffeine – was given shortly before oxygen deprivation. “Transferred to humans, this means that these agents are administered while the mother is still in labour. This can happen, for example, in case of obvious risks or complications”says Professor Sabir.
This preventive approach could potentially minimize the harmful effects of perinatal asphyxia on the brain development of newborns that occur during complicated matings.
“The advantage of drug treatment is that it does not require complex medical equipment. If caffeine does indeed prove to be the drug of choice, we would also have a cheap and readily available agent. This form of therapy would be particularly well suited to developing countries. But it could certainly also be used in high-income countries if it is superior to treatment by the cold“says Professor Sabir. The German team also warns that further work is needed before a clinical study in humans can be set up.