Cork medical centre’s discovery - Infant death rate

Lack of oxygen to the brain at birth affects almost 200 babies in Ireland each year and results in death or disability in more than two million infants each year around the world.

That makes a medical breakthrough into detecting and treating the condition of global significance.

Researchers at Ireland’s dedicated foetal and neonatal research centre, INFANT Centre in Cork, have identified two biochemical signals known as biomarkers that can be used to aid the detection of birth-related brain injury.

Based at Cork University Maternity Hospital and University College Cork, the centre is an international leader in perinatal healthcare and research.

The work, led by Prof Deirdre Murray, principal investigator at INFANT, was a marathon effort, taking 10 years to complete what is an initial study.

“There is still a lot of work to be done,” says Prof Murray.

There undoubtedly is, yet the research will, in all probability, lead to early intervention in neonatal brain injury to limit its effects and improve outcomes.

Our heartiest congratulations to her and her team.