Cheap NHS treatment protects babies from cerebral palsy

MORE than 200 cases of cerebral palsy in premature babies have been prevented in two years after a drug, costing £1 per dose, was introduced by the NHS.

The programme, now implemented in all 152 maternity units in England, has been given to over 8,000 mothers since 2018, saving around £180million in NHS and social care costs.

For babies born at less than 28 weeks, the risk of developing cerebral palsy is one in 10. For those born at full term, the risk decreases to 1 in 1,000.

Magnesium sulphate, which is administered intravenously, can reduce the chance of babies developing the condition by around 30 per cent, when given to women about to go into premature labour, if they are under 30 weeks.

For every 37 mothers treated in preterm labour, one case of cerebral palsy can be prevented. The drug acts as a

“helmet” around the baby’s brain and stabilises their cells to be stronger against the effects of premature birth.

The PReCePT (Prevention of Cerebral Palsy in Preterm Birth) programme was introduced in the west of England in 2016 before being given NHS England funding to take it nationally.

“It’s the first quality improvement intervention at a national scale that’s been delivered in this way,” Dr Karen Luyt, clinical lead for the PReCePT and chief investigator for the Health Foundation funded study into the programme, said. “It was a test really and it has gone extremely well.”

Preliminary results, shared exclusively with The Sunday Telegraph, reveal 2,635 mothers received the drug in 2018-19 preventing 71 cases of cerebral palsy, 2,996 in 2019-20 preventing 81 cases and 2,756 in 2020-21 preventing 74 cases. Full results are expected to be published in the autumn.