Project Description

Challenge

Premature infants are the largest subgroup of children with cerebral palsy (CP), and the prevalence of CP in these infants has remained high despite improved overall survival rates. White matter injuries and infections during pregnancy are a significant risk factor in CP, and studies show that factors impacting gene expression may be linked to these impairments.

Project Summary

Starting in Cycle I, a CP research team led by Dr. Steven Miller at BC Children’s Hospital, focused on the study of very premature infants who are at high risk for CP. They have been using advanced brain mapping tools and MRIs to examine the brains of preterm babies.

In Cycle II, researchers focused on developing a better understanding of the factors affecting gene expression and how they relate to white matter injury and brain development, studying a cohort of newborns shortly after birth and then at 36 months of age.

Result

There were several significant findings as a result of this research. The team found that extremely premature babies are vulnerable to early procedural pain; for example, blood draws conducted shortly after birth. Researchers also found that multiple infections are associated with adverse outcomes in white matter development.

These findings indicate that we should pay particular attention should on controlling infections in babies with multiple infections. The research also demonstrates that painful procedures should be minimized in premature babies.

The findings from this work have the potential to influence guidelines and practices in Canadian neonatal intensive care units.

Funding

This subproject was part of the larger “Cerebral Palsy Discovery Program.” The CP program was funded a total of $1,281,909 from the Kids Brain Health Network and $2,296,662 from participating partners.

Team

Dr. Steven Miller, The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Jessie Guo, The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Vann Chau, The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Ruth Grunau, BC Children’s Hospital
Dr. Anne Synnes, BC Children’s Hospital, BC Women’s Hospital