Babies born prematurely account for about a third of all cases of cerebral palsy, a developmental brain disorder that affects movement, motor skills and muscle coordination because of brain damage caused during birth.
The $25 million study, published Aug. 27 in the New England Journal of Medicine, looked at more than 2,200 pregnant women who were at high risk for premature birth. Half of the women were randomly assigned to receive an infusion of Epsom salt if they went into early labor, while the other half received a placebo infusion.
After two years of follow up, the study found that moderate or severe cerebral palsy was later diagnosed in 41 children in the magnesium sulfate group (1.9 percent) compared with 74 children in the placebo group (3.5 percent).
Researchers also found that the rates of death between the two groups did not differ, suggesting that such infusions are a safe treatment option.
Magnesium sulfate, the main component of Epsom salts, is routinely used to delay labor and to prevent seizures in pregnant women with dangerously high blood pressure as the drug supports the baby's blood vessels.
Cerebral palsy is caused by injury to the part of the brain that controls muscle movements. The developmental brain disorder strikes two out of every 1,000 infants born in the United States.
