What Types Of Treatment Are Available For Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy?

Due to the number of children who suffer from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy followed by a cerebral palsy diagnosis, the majority of his treatment revolves around occupational therapies to assist the child. With the HIE diagnosis, the lack of blood and oxygen causes permanent injury to the brain. These forms of injuries are irreversible.

Treatment For Newborns Suffering From HIE

Recently, a new treatment was developed for babies who are battling hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. This treatment is called Hypothermia Cooling, also known as brain cooling [1]. The purpose of this treatment is to cool the baby’s body temperature between 33.5 and 34.5 degrees Celsius. This treatment must be conducted within the first six hours of birth and must be in a continuous motion for seventy-two hours. The purpose of this treatment is to lower the baby’s metabolic rate, which aids injured cells and decreases the severity of the injury.

Doctors must remain aware of the possibility of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy in newborns who exhibit certain findings. Delaying the diagnosis of HIE, or not following the proper protocols for brain cooling, can lead to the baby missing out on important treatment.

[1] US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health Whole Body Cooling for Infants with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3743149/