Kiwi study lifeline for premature babies
Ground-breaking New Zealand research will have a potentially life-saving effect on the treatment of premature babies around the world.
The New Zealand study is the first to show that repeat antenatal steroid doses given to mothers at risk of delivering before 32 weeks does not adversely affect the later cardiovascular and metabolic health of premature babies. University of Auckland researchers have proven that repeated doses are safe – clearing the way for more babies to receive the treatment, which can save lives.Â
With few treatments available for mothers at risk of pre-term birth, this is an important finding,” said Dr Chris McKinlay, a neonatologist and researcher with the university’s Liggins Institute. The field work was done by McKinlay as part of his four-year doctoral studies and won him the University of Auckland’s top doctoral thesis award last year.
Read more in the articles that appeared in the NZ Herald and Stuff.Â
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