Prematurity and brain injury protection measures

A baby born at less than 37 weeks of gestation is called a preterm baby, a baby with a birth weight of less than 2500 grams (5 pounds) is called a low birth weight baby, and a baby with a birth weight of less than 1500 grams is called a very low birth weight baby. Causes of prematurity include intrauterine growth disorders, maternal diseases, and malnutrition. Premature low birth weight infants have an increased incidence of motor retardation, speech delay, mental retardation, attention deficit disorder, and other diseases due to immature or extremely immature brain development. According to the literature, about 15% of preterm infants die in the neonatal period, and about 8% of surviving preterm infants are left with mental retardation or sequelae of neurological damage. Cerebral palsy is found in 47.4% of preterm infants. The main reason for brain damage in preterm infants is the fragility of the paraventricular area between 26 and 36 weeks, which can lead to white matter damage when the blood supply is insufficient. In order to prevent the occurrence of cerebral palsy and to reduce the symptoms of cerebral palsy, the Department of Developmental Pediatrics of our hospital cooperates with the Tottori Therapy Center in Japan to carry out brain protection treatment for premature infants with the following measures: 1. Early education activities are conducted after the birth of newborns to provide parents with knowledge of newborn development promotion. 2. Regular visits to our developmental pediatrics department (developmental screening through a scale once a month) to compare the child’s indicators with those of normal children for timely treatment. 3.Parietal nucleus stimulator to promote blood circulation of the brain. 4.Nerve cell nutrients to promote brain cell development. 5.Neural development therapy to promote the development of motor function and unify the primitive reflexes. 6. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy to improve the oxygen-carrying capacity of brain cells.