Melbourne researchers discover major breakthrough for premature babies

Melbourne researchers are hoping a common over-the-counter vitamin will put them a step closer to finding a treatment for the leading cause of stillbirth and premature delivery.

Melbourne researchers have cracked a key cause of why babies stop growing in the womb, further uncovering that this premature ageing of their blood vessels puts them at risk of lifelong poor health.

The team from Monash University and Monash Children’s Hospital are now preparing to test a promising treatment, an over-the-counter vitamin, in pregnant women whose babies have been detected as stalling their growth.

There is currently no treatment for foetal growth restriction and it is a leading cause of stillbirth and premature delivery.

MELBOURNE ICON TO SERVE UP LAST PLATE

THE RISE OF THE NEW AFL POWER COUPLE

HOW SMIGGLE IS TAKING OVER THE WORLD

One in four premature babies and up to 10 per cent of full term infants suffer delayed or arrested growth in the womb, typically because they are not getting enough nutrients from the placenta.

The Monash team have found that when a mother has high blood pressure at the end of the second trimester, this makes blood vessels in the placenta stiff and blocked.

Lead researcher Professor Arvind Sehgal said this injury stopped the foetus receiving sufficient nutrients, which in turn damaged the baby’s own blood vessels so they more resembled those seen in elderly adults.

Jess Smith with her baby Sonny who was born at 26 weeks at Monash Childrens Hospital. Picture: Wayne Taylor.

“The story doesn’t end with the birth of the baby. Their blood vessels continue to be thick and stiff throughout life so these babies grow up to become adults with a very high incidence of hypertension, stroke and diabetes,” Prof Sehgal. “By age 18 many of these infants have high blood pressure.”

The research was published in Journal of Perinatology.

After using samples of human placentas to test potential treatments upon, up to 200 pregnant women will now be recruited in the coming months for a trial using daily melatonin tablets.

Up to 200 pregnant women will now be recruited in the coming months for a trial

This supplement is most commonly used for jet lag, but is emerging as a promising preventive for pregnancy-related injuries such as oxygen deprivation damage at birth.

“Melatonin is an antioxidant. It has been shown in experimental models to be effective at preventing the injury and repairing the constructed blood vessels,” he said.

The trial aims to help babies like Sonny Smith, the smallest baby ever born at Monash Children’s. With the placenta running out of puff, scans at 25 weeks gestation showed he was more the size of a 21-weeker.

Sonny arrived at 26 weeks, weighing 446g. Now aged five months and weighing in at 3.3kg, mum Jessica Smith said a treatment for foetal growth restriction would be life changing and life saving.

“Even if we could give him an extra four weeks, it would have meant a totally different outcome for him,” Ms Smith said.