Carbon dioxide as a treatment for seizures in the newborn

Chief Investigators: Bjorkman ST, Colditz P, Vanhatalo S

Funding source: NHMRC, Project grant (2015-2017) $850,890

Aim: To investigate the use of CO₂ as an antiepileptic treatment for neonatal seizures and

Methods: We will use our pre-clinical animal model of neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) and seizures to determine if administration of CO₂ gas reduces total seizure burden after HI and to examine whether application of CO₂ as an adjuvant to therapeutic hypothermia reduces HI brain injury and improves neurodevelopmental outcomes.

New knowledge: CO₂ gas inhaled by the newborn piglet following HI is effective in terminating neonatal seizures in the newborn piglet brain.

Project weblink at the Perinatal Research Centre, UQ.