Hospital leads trial for care of babies born prematurely

A CORK hospital is leading in an international trial to try to establish the most appropriate treatment for babies who suffer from low blood pressure and low blood flow to the brain as a result of being born too early.

These babies, of whom up to one in five does not survive, are statistically at greater risk of brain injury, including a bleed into the brain tissue, because the structure of their blood vessels is not as robust as a baby delivered at full term.

Dr Gene Dempsey, a consultant neonatologist at Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH), said the standard treatment for these newborns — born before 28 weeks’ gestation — is to treat them for low blood pressure but this approach may not necessarily improve blood flow to the vital organs, including the brain.