Hydrogen Gas Reduces Seizures in Newborns After Birth Complications
- Authors
- Toui Tsuchiya, Shinji Nakamura, Yuichiro Sugiyama, Yasuhiro Nakao, Tsutomu Mitsuie, Kota Inoue, Eri Inoue, Yinmon Htun, Makoto Arioka, Kenichi Ohta, Hirosuke Morita, Noriko Fuke, Sonoko Kondo, Kosuke Koyano, Takanori Miki, Masaki Ueno, Takashi Kusaka
- Journal
- Pediatric Research
- Year
- 2024
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41390-024-03041-6
- Study Type
- Pig
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Adding hydrogen gas to cooling therapy reduced seizures and improved brain activity in newborn piglets that had suffered from a lack of oxygen.
Key Finding
Combining hydrogen gas with therapeutic cooling reduced seizure burden and abnormal brain electrical patterns 24 hours after oxygen deprivation in newborn piglets, compared to cooling therapy alone.
Summary
Researchers studied whether adding hydrogen gas to cooling therapy (a standard treatment for newborns who suffered oxygen deprivation at birth) could reduce seizures. Using newborn piglets, they compared cooling alone versus cooling plus hydrogen gas, measuring brain electrical activity for 24 hours after the injury. Adding hydrogen gas to cooling therapy reduced abnormal brain patterns and shortened seizure episodes compared to cooling alone.
Practical Takeaway
This early-stage animal study suggests hydrogen gas combined with cooling therapy may enhance protection against seizures in newborns with oxygen deprivation. However, this research was conducted only in piglets, and human trials would be needed before any clinical application. The findings are preliminary and cannot yet inform treatment decisions.
Abstract (excerpt)
Background: We previously reported that hydrogen (H2) gas combined with therapeutic hypothermia (TH) improved short-term neurological outcomes in asphyxiated piglets. However, the effect on seizure burden was unclear. Using amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG), we compared TH + H2…