Tag Archives: baby brain injuries

New Stem Cell Research Is Helping Children Who Suffer From Brain Damage

Researchers in Germany and Korea are making headway in an effort to treat children who suffer from cerebral palsy and brain damage by studying a two-and-a-half-year old boy who had to be resuscitated after he went into cardiac arrest in 2008. During the time between his heart attack and resuscitation, the boy suffered severe brain damage that left him in a vegetative state with a minimal chance of survival. Recently, the researchers administered a treatment using the boy’s umbilical cord stem cells to treat the brain damage. Two months after the treatment, the boy learned to move and speak simple sentences. The process uses blood extracted from the umbilical cord after birth. Researchers have found that the blood inside the umbilical cord contains all the normal elements of blood but is very rich in hematopoietic stem cells. These particular stem cells tend to migrate towards the brain in large numbers…
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New Technique Could Reduce Birth Defects For In Vitro Fertilization Recipients

British researchers are studying a new technique for in vitro fertilization (IVF) that may increase the chances of a successful birth. The current average of a successful birth from IVF is 25 percent, but the new treatment is supposed to increase the chances to 75 percent. The new technique uses time lapse imaging to closely check the embryos and distinguish between those with chromosomal abnormalities and those without them. The current procedure for IVF is to check the developing embryo up to six times over five days. The new technique takes 5,000 snapshots over the same amount of time. Researchers say the new technique will increase the chance of a successful birth, consequently lowering the chances of experiencing a traumatic birth event like a miscarriage. The test also reduces the risk of birth defects such as Down’s syndrome. Professor Simon Fishel, managing director of CARE Fertility Group, said the treatment…
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Birth Trauma Attorneys Honor National Birth Defects Prevention Month of 2013

The National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN) designated January as National Birth Defects Prevention Month. According to its website, NBDPN is a “group of individuals involved in birth defects surveillance, research and prevention.” Throughout January, the group has worked to spread knowledge about birth injuries, birth defects and methods we can use to prevent them. This year’s theme is “Birth Defects: Common, costly and critical.” The site offers sobering statistics about the prevalence of birth defects, including: For every 33 births, one will have a birth defect One of every five children who die before their first birthday suffer from a birth defect Each year, more than 120,000 babies are born with birth defects There are many factors that cause birth defects. A poor diet, lack of vitamins and ingesting harmful substances (alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs) can all cause potential harm for developing babies. Unfortunately, a mistake at the hospital…
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