Pharmacologic Prevention and Treatment of Neonatal Brain Injury.

Melanie A McNally, Janet S Soul

Journal: Clinics in perinatology 2019;46(2):311-325

PMID: 31010562

Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

Neonatal brain injury (NBI) remains a major contributor to neonatal mortality and long-term neurodevelopmental morbidity. Although therapeutic hypothermia is the only proven treatment to minimize brain injury caused by neonatal encephalopathy in term neonates, it provides incomplete neuroprotection. There are no specific drugs yet proven to prevent NBI in preterm neonates. This review discusses the scientific and emerging clinical trial data for several neuroprotective drugs in development, examining potential efficacy and safety concerns. Drugs with the highest likelihood of success and closest to clinical application include erythropoietin for term and preterm neonates and antenatal magnesium for preterm neonates.

Address: Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.; Fetal-Neonatal Neurology Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

DOI: 10.1016/j.clp.2019.02.006

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MeSH Terms: Adrenal Cortex Hormones, Allopurinol, Anesthetics, Inhalation, Anticonvulsants, Antioxidants, Cerebral Intraventricular Hemorrhage, Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors, Darbepoetin alfa, Erythropoietin, Free Radical Scavengers, Hematinics, Humans, Hypothermia, Induced, Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain, Indomethacin, Infant, Newborn, Leukomalacia, Periventricular, Magnesium, Melatonin, Neuroprotection, Prenatal Care, Topiramate, Xenon