Dr Julie Wixey – Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland
Household drug giving small babies a better start to life
Small Australian babies at risk for learning and behavioural problems now have hope for improving brain development through Ibuprofen, a common household drug, better known as Nurofen.
University of Queensland researchers showed that treating babies born smaller than normal with Ibuprofen reduces any swelling in their brains, which improves their brain development.
Ibuprofen is already commonly used and safely administered to premature newborns to treat heart valves that have failed to close properly.
“We are now looking at how our findings match with other research on premature Australian babies,” says Dr Julie Wixey. “We will then look at running clinical trials.”
Written by Julie Wixey and edited by Econnect Communication.
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