Magnesium Sulfate May Lower Risk of Cerebral Palsy

Treating women who are at risk of delivering prematurely with magnesium sulfate reduces the risk of cerebral palsy, according to a study performed by Dr. Caroline Crowther.

"The new Cochrane review shows there is now evidence to support giving magnesium sulfate therapy to women at risk of very preterm birth to increase their unborn baby's chance of survival, free of cerebral palsy," She said.

Using information from five clinical trials that involved 6145 infants who were randomly assigned to treatment of magnesium sulphate or placebo around the time of delivery, they found that magnesium sulphate lowered the risk of cerebral palsy by 32 percent. Treatment was also tied to a 39-percent drop in the rate of major movement disabilities.

Magnesium sulphate therapy did not affect mortality or development of other neurologic impairments in the first years of life. Low blood pressure and rapid heart beat were found to be more frequent in magnesium treated mothers than in those who were administered a placebo.

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