A hormone that stimulates the growth of red blood cells may limit brain damage in premature infants.
At birth, premature babies are more at risk than those born at term. For physical growth, but also for brain development. However, injecting a hormone called erythropoietin (EPO) could be a game-changer, according to a Swiss study published in The Journal Of American Medical Association.
A team of researchers from the University Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine of Geneva studied Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) results on 165 brains of premature babies. Half of them received three doses of EPO within two days of birth. The other half got a placebo. “We found that the brains of children who received the EPO doses suffered less damage than others,” said Russia Ha-Vinh Leuchter, co-author of the study.
Neuroprotective effect
This is the first time that a study has proven the beneficial effects on the brains of premature infants. “This is only the first step,” says Prof. Petra Hüppi, lead author of the study. He added: “We need to follow the affected babies and do more MRIs in two or three years to see if the cognitive impairments that we usually see in premature children are alleviated. If this turns out to be the case, we will have taken an important step in preventing brain damage and its long-term consequences in premature babies. “
The athlete’s hormone
Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hormone that stimulates the formation and growth of red blood cells. It is produced mostly by the kidney. It is also used as a doping product in high level athletes. This is because the hormone can increase the oxygen supply to the muscles and thus improve sports performance.
15 million premature babies worldwide per year
A child born before the 37th week of pregnancy is considered premature. Physical and neurological follow-up is provided from birth until entering kindergarten (at the age of 3 or 4).
In France, the number of births of premature children “continues to increase”. There were 60,000 in 2013, according to the Prematurity Collective. The World Health Organization (WHO) lists 15 million babies born prematurely each year worldwide.
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