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Show Blood Transfusions May Prevent Cerebral Palsy Blood transfusions for premature pre-mature infants may provide a means of reducing the incidence of certain types of cerebral palsy it was reported at the United Cerebral Palsy Association's Rocky Mountain Regional Conference Con-ference in the Hotel Utah. Dr. Lula O. Lubchenco, Pediatrician Pedia-trician in Charge of the Premature Prema-ture Infant Center, University of Colorado, Denver, told United Cerebral Palsy Conference delegates dele-gates that a recent study shows 69 per cent of premature infants (3 lbs., 5 oz. or less at birth) showed handicaps at ten years of age resulting from brain hemorrhages. "The resultant handicaps were chiefly, cerebral palsy and mental men-tal retardation," he said. "It has been demonstrated in our studies that these premature infants have very low levels of several coagulation factors that theoretically at least or correctable correct-able with blood transfusions. The present endeavor of our research is to correct the coagulation deficiency de-ficiency in susceptible babies by giving blood transfusions in the hope of preventing brain damage dam-age due to bleeding." Other speakers included Dr. Brewster S. Miller, UCPA Medical Medi-cal Director; Dr. Forrest Adams Professor of Pediatrics, University Univer-sity of California School of Medicine; Medi-cine; Dr. John A. Wada, Senior Researcher in Neurophysiology University of British Columbia, Vancouver; Dr. Margaret Jones Associate Professor of Pediatrics of the University of California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, Calif.; all of whom are conducting conduct-ing research under grants from the Research and Educational Foundation of United Cerebral Palsy Association. |