Magnesium for Infants with Low Oxygen Levels

New evidence suggests that magnesium may help minimize nerve damage in newborns with low oxygen levels, a condition called perinatal asphyxia.

Perinatal asphyxia usually occurs when the mother's blood pressure drops or blood flow to the infant's brain is blocked during delivery. The condition occurs in about 0.1-1 percent of live births.

Asphyxia causes glutamate, an amino acid, to build up in the infant's brain. The excess glutamate allows calcium to flow through cell channels, thereby leading to permanent nerve damage.

This latest study suggests that magnesium sulfate may help prevent this flow of calcium.

Researchers studied 40 term infants with severe perinatal asphyxia and moderate or severe brain injuries. The infants randomly received three doses of intravenous magnesium sulfate or placebo. Treatment was given within six hours of birth and then again after 24 and 48 hours.

Of the patients in the magnesium group, 22 percent had abnormal brain exams when they were discharged from the hospital, compared to 56 percent in the placebo group. Additionally, 77 percent of the magnesium group was able to receive oral feedings when they were discharged compared to 37 percent of the placebo group. Fourteen days later, brain imaging showed that fewer infants in the magnesium group (16 percent) had brain abnormalities than the placebo group (44 percent).

Two infants died in each group. Two patients in the treatment group experienced breathing problems after receiving the second dose of magnesium sulfate and required the use of a respirator.

Although these early findings are promising and supported by limited animal research, additional research is warranted in this area.

Magnesium has been suggested as a potential treatment for many other conditions. Currently, strong evidence supports intravenous magnesium sulfate as a way to prevent seizures in pregnant women with preeclampsia, a condition that causes high blood pressure and protein in the urine. Additionally, good evidence supports the use of magnesium for irregular heartbeat, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), type 2 diabetes, hearing loss, leg cramps during pregnancy, mitral valve prolapse, succinylcholine-induced muscle twitching and thrombolysis after a heart attack.

For more information about magnesium, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplement database.

Comments

[Theodore Thermopolis]

I believe these potential magnesium treatments should be rigorously researched. The key factor involving these treatments is the simple fact that you are treating patients with nothing more than magnesium. This will lead to little or no adverse effects that seem to plague most pharmacological therapies. Without the risk of unwarranted side effects, the question to treat or not is thrown out the window. Numerous disease states could benefit if this is researched further. I gave a presentation on Tourette's and found that clinical trials testing magnesium and B-vitamin treatments are showing promise in adolescents with onset of Tourette's and other tic disorders as well.