A new infant brain damage blood test may be able to detect neurological damage in babies — saving valuable time when treating a birth injury.

Imperial College London is developing the prototype test along with researchers from India, Italy, and the United States. According to preliminary results published in a Science Daily article from August 2020, the new test successfully identifies changes in genes which occur due to oxygen deprivation.

“We know that early intervention is key to preventing the worst outcomes in babies following oxygen deprivation, but knowing which babies need this help, and how best to help them, remains a challenge,” lead author Dr. Paolo Montaldo of the Centre for Perinatal Neuroscience at Imperial College London said in the Science Daily article.

Birth Asphyxia In Newborns

Oxygen deprivation or asphyxia can occur in newborns due to a variety of reasons before, during, and after birth. Seattle Children’s lists the following causes of prolonged lack of oxygen in a newborn:

• Long or difficult deliveries
• Umbilical cord problems during labor
• Infections
• High or low blood pressure in the mother
• Developmental issues
• Placenta separation

When any of the above situations occur, a newborn child may not get the oxygen they need. This can cause widespread issues since oxygen is essential for the body to work properly. In some cases where oxygen deprivation is mild, full recovery is possible. Unfortunately, with severe or prolonged asphyxia, newborns may suffer from permanent injuries to their brain, heart, lungs, or other organs.

Infant Brain Damage Blood Test & Early Intervention

To help identify and mitigate the consequences of oxygen deprivation in newborns, the prototype examines the blood of newborns after birth and checks for the expression of certain genes.

Research published in 2020 examined the outcomes of 45 babies who experienced birth asphyxia. Blood was taken for testing six hours after birth and children were examined again after 18 months to see if they had neurological disabilities.

In preliminary tests, researchers found 855 genes which were expressed differently between those children who developed neurodisabilities and those who did not. According to researchers, two genes showed the most significant differences.

Not only could these gene differences indicate which newborns may go onto to develop neurological disabilities, the discoveries could help to inform future research into the effect of lack of oxygen on newborns.

“The results from these blood tests will allow us to gain more insight into disease mechanisms that are responsible for brain injury and allow us to develop new therapeutic interventions or improve those which are already available,” concluded senior author Professor Sudhin Thayyil, from the Centre for Perinatal Neuroscience at Imperial College London.

Although tests such as the prototype infant brain damage blood test may help improve outcomes in newborns, birth injuries can still lead to extreme hardship for children and their parents. In the cases where a birth injury was caused by a doctor’s negligence, parents may be able to take legal action.