Signs & Symptoms
Babies with brain injury may not be able to breathe well and so need ventilatory support. Lack of oxygen supply may also affect the function of other body organs. Some babies may develop seizures (fits).
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What causes it
Brain injury may occur before birth or during the birth process. The lack of oxygenated blood supply to the brain causes the brain injury, and may also affect other body organs.
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About the condition
There are three stages of brain injury (Stages 1 to 3). Most babies with Stage 1 injuries recover well on their own with no long-term effects. Babies with stage 2 or 3 have a higher risk of dying or may develop severe neurological complications.
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Diagnosis and Treatment Options
Babies with potential risks for brain injury will be attended to at birth by our specialists. If the need arise, these babies will be resuscitated immediately after birth, then transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for monitoring and supportive care.
In the NICU, we have a device capable of continuously monitoring brain wave patterns to determine the severity of brain injury and presence of seizures. Special imaging with MRI is available to delineate the extent of the brain injury.
Treatment with body cooling is available. This mode of treatment has been proven to reduce the effect of brain injury in severely affected infants.
Follow up on growth and neurological development can be done by our specialists after the babies' discharge from hospital.
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