A 20-year study by scientists at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals and British Columbia Children’s Hospital (BCCH) confirms that recent advances in newborn heart surgery have greatly reduced brain injuries in infants with congenital heart disease (CHD). The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, analyzed brain imaging data from 270 full-term newborns with CHD for changes in brain injuries before and after newborn cardiac surgery. Combining Glucocorticoids and Statin Therapy Improves Outcomes for Preterm Babies.
New approaches to monitor infant brain health, including advanced magnetic resonance (MRI) brain imaging, showed that maintaining higher postoperative blood pressure reduced brain injuries and improved patient survival. The study found that infants maintained at higher post-surgical blood pressures had an almost 20% reduction in post-surgical brain injuries compared to infants in the first group in 2001.
This work has led to the creation of novel clinical programs to monitor and protect the brain in fetuses, newborns and children with CHD, including the Healthy Hearts & Minds Program and the GRAND program. These programs aim to improve long-term developmental outcomes by reducing early brain injuries.
“Reducing Brain Injuries in Infants with Congenital Heart Disease through Advances in Newborn Heart Surgery” – Meta Description: Learn about the 20-year study by scientists at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals and British Columbia Children’s Hospital that confirms the effectiveness of recent advances in newborn heart surgery in reducing brain injuries in infants with congenital heart disease.