PREVENT Study
Prevention of Epilepsy by reducing Neonatal Encephalopathy
Epilepsy is one of the leading causes of disabilities in India, affecting more than 12 million people here. It often debilitates the lives of those affected and takes a massive toll on the socio-economic ecosystem. A significant number of epilepsy cases are caused by brain injuries in babies during childbirth. We at PREVENT (Prevention of Epilepsy by reducing Neonatal Encephalopathy) study, believe that we could help reduce epilepsy by preventing brain injuries sustained during childbirth.
What is the PREVENT study?
Prof. Helen Cross, co-investigator of the PREVENT Study says that epilepsy is a symptom of an underlying brain damage which causes other neuro-disabilities. This affects the way children learn, behave and their quality of life. By preventing brain damage during child birth, we not only reduce the prevalence of epilepsy, but also reduce the problems of neuro-developmental outcomes.
To this end, leading researchers in obstetrics, midwifery, neonatal medicine, epilepsy, neurology, public health and health economics from the UK, and India came together with the common goal of preventing epilepsy in new-born babies. This team, in collaboration with three large medical college hospitals, Bangalore Medical College, Government Calicut Medical College and Karnataka Medical College will study 60,000 pregnant women for the next four years and introduce a ‘care bundle’ during labour and delivery to reduce brain injuries in babies. This research is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation (RIGHT) program.
To learn more about the Centre for Perinatal Neuroscience, Imperial College London, click here
What motivates you to work with the PREVENT team?
Prof. Alex Haezell has a particular interest in caring for mothers who has had adverse outcomes at pregnancy and is informing the ‘birth-companion’ component of the study’s care bundle.
How will this study benefit India and the world at large?
Prof. Charles Newton is working on the epidemiological aspects of the PREVENT study. In the extensive work he has been doing in Africa, he found that one of the major risk factors for children developing epilepsy, is Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)*. He believes that if we could prevent HIE, we could significantly reduce epilepsy in children.
Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) also commonly known as birth asphyxia, is brain damage that happens to a baby due to lack of oxygen during childbirth. Many of these babies may also develop additional neuro-disabilities, including cerebral palsy, deafness and blindness.