{"id":52865,"date":"2022-11-03T09:04:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-02T22:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hudson.org.au?post_type=hdsn_news_post&p=52865"},"modified":"2024-05-01T11:56:22","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T01:56:22","slug":"finding-and-treating-newborn-brain-injury","status":"publish","type":"hdsn_news_post","link":"https:\/\/hudson.org.au\/news\/finding-and-treating-newborn-brain-injury\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding and treating newborn brain injury"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The devastating effects of newborn brain injury are well known, and Professor Suzanne Miller\u2019s aim is to be able to detect and treat those injuries in time to make a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Professor
Professor Suzanne Miller<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In her new role as head of The Ritchie Centre<\/a> Hudson Institute, Prof Miller<\/a> is guiding teams of researchers working on both prevention and cure of these critical conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of her own distinguished career as a neurodevelopmental physiologist and researcher, Prof Miller is now leading several teams doing groundbreaking work in this area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prevention and cure of newborn brain injury<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s an alphabet of lifelong conditions to prevent, ranging from cerebral palsy (CP)<\/a> to bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) <\/a>and necrotising enterocolitis (NEC)<\/a> to autism and ADHD, all of which become more likely when a baby is born prematurely, or with other complications that cause neonatal brain injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The key, and Prof Miller\u2019s ultimate goal, is identifying the danger signs as early as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And with neonatal medicine increasing the survival rate of the most vulnerable babies, she predicts an increase in the number of children with adverse long-term outcomes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is certainly a knowledge gap in identifying those more subtle brain injuries early enough to make a positive difference,\u201d Prof Miller said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese children have a higher likelihood of learning difficulties at school, but we\u2019re not very good at identifying them before they get to school age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIt would be fabulous if we were able to identify brain injury in newborn infants as early as possible, so that the interventions we\u2019re developing \u2013 whether that\u2019s stem cells or anti-inflammatories or melatonin could be implemented ASAP.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Lack of funding impedes progress<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Ritchie Centre is currently running clinical trials on two of these treatments, but as with all their research, the number-one impediment to serious progress is lack of funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have talented mid-career researchers who have established their research careers and are doing fabulous work, making huge progress, and we simply can\u2019t get funding for their salaries,\u201d Prof Miller said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey will have spent at least 30 per cent of their time this year applying for funding \u2013 effectively competing against each other, but if we had enough money they would all just be getting on with their research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat could we be achieving then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPlease support our researchers so they can continue making progress in the prevention of newborn brain injuries with a gift to our Infants\u2019 Health Appeal today. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Newborn brain injury facts\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n