National Study Shows Magnesium Sulfate Reduces Risk of Cerebral Palsy in Premature...

National Study Shows Magnesium Sulfate Reduces Risk of Cerebral Palsy in
Premature Births
Northwestern Memorial Hospital one of 18 centers involved in 10-year study

CHICAGO, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Results of a 10-year study
published in the August 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine found
that magnesium sulfate administered to women delivering before 32 weeks of
gestation reduced the risk of cerebral palsy by 50 percent. The Beneficial
Effects of Antenatal Magnesium Sulfate (BEAM) trial was conducted in 18
centers in the U.S., including Northwestern Memorial, and is the first
prenatal intervention ever found to reduce the instance of cerebral palsy
related to premature birth.
Magnesium sulfate is traditionally used in obstetrics to stop premature
labor and prevent seizures in women with hypertension. The BEAM trial studied
the link between magnesium sulfate and cerebral palsy by identifying 2,240
women who were likely to give birth more than two months premature. Half of
the women intravenously received magnesium sulfate while the other half
received a placebo. Children born to the women in the study were examined at
two-years-old, and results found that the children in the magnesium group were
50 percent less likely to develop cerebral palsy compared to children in the
placebo group.
"This is a substantial breakthrough in maternal fetal medicine that could
positively impact the health of thousands of babies," said Alan Peaceman, MD,
chair of the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine at Northwestern Memorial
Hospital, professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Northwestern
University Feinberg School of Medicine, and an investigator in the study.
"After 10 years of studying the effects of magnesium sulfate, it has proven to
be a successful method of reducing the outcome of cerebral palsy in premature
births."
Cerebral palsy is a group of neurological disorders that appears in
infancy or early childhood and permanently affects body movement and muscle
coordination. In the U.S., two to three children in 1,000 are affected with
cerebral palsy, and about 800,000 children and adults of all ages have the
disorder, which is caused by damage in parts of the brain that control muscle
movements.
The most common form of cerebral palsy is congenital, resulting from
intra-uterine brain injury and accounting for approximately 70 percent of
cases. Although there is no direct cause of the disorder, risk factors
including premature birth and low birth weight are directly correlated to
instances of cerebral palsy.
"Based on results of the study, in the future it is possible that women at
risk of prematurely giving birth could proactively receive magnesium sulfate
to reduce their child's chances of developing cerebral palsy," adds Dr.
Peaceman. "With additional research, it is possible that in the next few years
this will be a standard of care."
About Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Northwestern Memorial Hospital is one of the country's premier academic
medical centers and is the primary teaching hospital of the Northwestern
University Feinberg School of Medicine. Along with its Prentice Women's
Hospital and Stone Institute of Psychiatry, the hospital comprises 897 beds,
1,424 affiliated physicians and 6,464 employees. Northwestern Memorial is
recognized for providing exemplary patient care and state-of-the art
advancements in the areas of cardiovascular care; women's health; oncology;
neurology and neurosurgery; solid organ and soft tissue transplants and
orthopaedics.
Northwestern Memorial possesses nursing Magnet Status, the nation's
highest recognition for patient care and nursing excellence, and it is listed
in 10 clinical specialties in U.S. News & World Report's 2008 "America's Best
Hospitals" guide. For seven years running, it has been rated among the "100
Best Companies for Working Mothers" guide by Working Mother magazine. The
hospital is a repeat recipient of the prestigious National Quality Health Care
Award and for more than a decade has been chosen by Chicagoans as their "most
preferred hospital" according to the National Research Corporation's annual
survey.
SOURCE Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Kimberly Arndt of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, +1-312-926-6503,
karndt@nmh.org