Potential new therapies for perinatal cerebral hypoxia-ischemia

Recent studies in neonatal animals have shown that hypoxic-ischemic brain damage can be reduced by interventions initiated after the hypoxic-ischemic insult. In this article, the authors focus on potentially new modalities of therapy capable of preventing--or at least reducing--brain damage arising from perinatal cerebral hypoxia-ischemia. Management strategies include oxygen-free radical inhibitors and scavengers, excitatory amino acid antagonists, and calcium channel blocker. Additional information is provided regarding the critical role of glucose in perinatal cerebral hypoxia-ischemia and also the protective effect of hypothermia on preventing brain damage.