Arthritis Drug May Help Prevent Brain Damage in Preemies

An arthritis pain reliever may lower the risk of brain damage in babies born prematurely, according to new scientific evidence. Researchers are set to present their findings at a neuroscience meeting in Japan this week.

Neuroscientists from the University of Rochester Medical Center teamed up with a neonatologist at New York Medical College to study the stabilizing effects of the cox-2 inhibitor celecoxib on blood vessels in an area of the brain vulnerable to bleeding in premature infants.

Approximately 12,000 children born in the United States every year are affected by such bleeding, which often leaves many with permanent brain damage and other conditions such as cerebral palsy, seizures, and mental retardation.

“Stabilizing the blood vessels right before the baby is born is a tremendous opportunity to save the baby from potentially lifelong complications,” said Rochester neuroscientist Dr. Maiken Nedergaard.

(Source: http://www.postchronicle.com/)

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