Magnesium Sulfate Infusion Helps Prevent Cerebral Palsy in Babies, Clinicians Encourage Global Uptake
Giving a magnesium sulfate infusion to women experiencing early labor can significantly reduce their risk of delivering a baby with cerebral palsy, a recent review found. Cerebral palsy risks were reduced by 29 percent, the authors found. Magnesium sulfate, which has the same chemical composition as Epsom salts, retails at less than $20 in the United States for intravenous infusions. The 2024 report published in the Cochrane Database for Systematic Reviews also found that the medication lowers the combined risk of death or cerebral palsy in children. Babies born preterm are at a higher risk of developing cerebral palsy, an incurable motor disability that affects movements, postures, and in some cases, cognition and behavior. In a recent editorial published on Sept. 24 in the Cochrane Review , Karen Luyt, professor of neonatal medicine at the University of Bristol, called for wider use of magnesium sulfate and more research into making it accessible in places with fewer resources. Magn...