Infection may cause newborn brain damage

Contrary to popular belief, most brain damage in premature babies is caused by infections, not a lack of oxygen, researchers at Johns Hopkins University say.

“To reduce the risk of brain injury in the premature neonate, physicians may have to pay more attention to infections that occur around the time of birth,” said Dr. Ernest Graham, assistant professor of medicine and author of the study that appeared in the October online edition of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

A common form of brain damage in premature infants is called periventricular leukomalacia, or PVL, and involves damage to the brain’s white matter. Cerebral palsy will develop in at least 60% of infants with PVL who live to adulthood, researchers said. Twins or triplets are more susceptible to PVL.

In comparing cases of babies with white-matter brain injuries and those without, the researchers found evidence of comparable rates of oxygen deprivation. But rates of bacterial infections in cerebrospinal fluid were two to four times greater in PVL babies than in babies with no brain damage.