Date of Paper/Work

5-2011

Type of Paper/Work

Scholarly project

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Nursing

Department

Nursing

Advisor

Gay Varecka

Abstract

Infants born very prematurely have a greatly increased risk of suffering permanent neurologic sequelae such as cerebral palsy (CP), a leading cause of physical disability in childhood (Doyle, Crowther, Middleton, Marrett, and Rouse, 2010; Stanley and Crowther, 2008). The risk of developing CP increases exponentially as gestational age at birth decreases (Ancel, Livinec, Larroque, et al., 2006). Observational studies conducted during the 1980s and 1990s found pre-term infants exposed in utero to magnesium sulfate (MgSo4) had decreased incidence of CP (Cahill, Stout, and Caughey, 2010). This paper compares data from several randomized trials as well as meta-analyses to determine whether a relationship exists between antenatal MgSo4 exposure and decreased incidence of CP.

Department/School

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

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