A new study shows that oxygen treatment may do more harm than good in some cases.
Brain damage from lack of oxygen, often during difficult births or near-drowning, is one of the most common causes of death and lasting nerve damage in babies and children. The standard treatment had been to give 100% oxygen to prevent further brain damage.
But in a study at UT Southwestern Medical Center in mice, researchers compared 100% oxygen with room air. After 72 hours, the mice given 100% oxygen had more dead brain cells and developed movement problems like those of cerebral palsy. The worst-hit cells were the glial cells that make myelin, the white matter that lets nerve cells send signals quickly and efficiently and helps coordinate movement.
"Patients with damage to white matter often develop cerebral palsy and movement problems," says Dr Steven Kernie. "Using pure oxygen to treat brain injury increases oxidative stress, which produces highly reactive molecules." More research is needed to find the best oxygen level for recovery with the least brain damage, and the team is now working on how to monitor this kind of injury in people. The study was published in the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism in 2008.
Newborn resuscitation guidelines have since changed: babies are now usually resuscitated with room air at first, with oxygen added only as needed.
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