March 04, 2011 (Press-News.org) Physicians have debated the relationship between a low APGAR score and cerebral palsy, especially in children with low birth weight. Although this relationship has previously been inconclusive, a new study by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) indicates a direct association between cerebral palsy and low APGAR scores in children with less than normal birth weights.
What is an APGAR score?
The APGAR test is a newborn assessment given directly after birth that measures five criteria to determine the child's health:
Appearance/skin color -- pink, pale or blue
Pulse -- Is it above or below 100 beats per minute?
Grimace -- Does the child cry or pull away when stimulated?
Activity -- Do the child's arms and legs resist extension?
Respiration -- Is there a strong, healthy cry?
Points are given based on the strength of each element. Scores between seven and 10 are considered normal. Scores between zero and six are considered low. In an interview with healthcanal.com, researcher Kari Kveim Lie of the NIPH indicated that between 10 and 17 percent of newborns with very low APGAR scores developed cerebral palsy.
How the Results Were Interpreted
A low APGAR score suggests that the child had oxygen deficiencies during birth, which may have been caused by a birth injury, but other factors may contribute to low vitality. For example, a problem with the child's nervous system would definitely affect responsiveness. A low score could also be a sign of brain damage, which also can cause cerebral palsy. However, a brain injury could have occurred during pregnancy just as it could during the birth. As such, the researchers could not determine whether birth-related brain damage, as opposed to prenatal damage, caused cerebral palsy in the subject babies.
Nevertheless, if a newborn has a low birth weight and low APGAR score, physicians would be more likely to monitor the child to determine if breathing problems persist, whether other nervous system issues exist or if the child has, or will develop, cerebral palsy. Both elements are helpful in determining how the physician will proceed in helping the child adjust to the outside world.
The medical malpractice attorneys of Silvers, Langsam and Weitzman, P.C., work on behalf of victims injured by medical malpractice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. To speak to a medical malpractice lawyer, contact MyPhillyLawyer at 866-920-0352.
Website: http://www.philadelphia-medical-malpractice-lawyers.com/
Study Suggests Correlation Between Low APGAR Scores and Low Birth Weights by Silvers, Langsam, Weitzman, P.C.
A new study by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) indicates a direct association between cerebral palsy and low APGAR scores in children with less than normal birth weights.
2011-03-04
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Men in low income neighborhoods drink more than women: Study
2011-03-04
TORONTO, On – March 3, 2011 – Men living in low-income neighbourhoods consume more than three times as many alcoholic drinks each week compared to women in these neighbourhoods, according to a study led by St. Michael's researcher Flora Matheson.
The findings, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, suggest neighbourhood affluence affects men and women differently when it comes to alcohol consumption. Heavy drinking is associated with higher death rates and a greater risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and liver cirrhosis.
"While ...
Grazing of cattle pastures can improve soil quality
2011-03-04
A team of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists has given growers in the Piedmont guidance on how to restore degraded soils and make the land productive. Researchers with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) found that if cattle are managed so that they graze moderately, soil quality can be restored and emissions of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) can be reduced.
ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency. The research, published in the Soil Science Society of America Journal, supports the USDA priority of responding to climate ...
Traumatic Brain Injury is a Cause of Concern in the U.S.
2011-03-04
Many people have heard about traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), but few realize how common these injuries are in the United States. Data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that an estimated 52,000 people die every year in the United States as a result of a TBI. Another 275,000 are hospitalized and 1.365 million more receive emergency services annually. In all, nearly 1.7 million people suffer a TBI each year. One Oxford University report estimates the combined direct and indirect costs of TBI to have reached $60 billion in 2000.
CDC data indicates ...
Mapping human vulnerability to climate change
2011-03-04
Researchers already study how various species of plants and animals migrate in response to climate change. Now, Jason Samson, a PhD candidate in McGill University's Department of Natural Resource Sciences, has taken the innovative step of using the same analytic tools to measure the impact of climate change on human populations. Samson and fellow researchers combined climate change data with censuses covering close to 97 per-cent of the world's population in order to forecast potential changes in local populations for 2050.
Samson's team found that if populations continue ...
South Carolina Juvenile Justice: Protecting Children's Best Interests
2011-03-04
Children who face criminal charges, along with their families, may have some concerns about the legal process. They may feel compelled to ask advice from a South Carolina juvenile defense lawyer about student alcohol and drug charges, an alleged assault, burglary or sexting. But the first thing they need to know is that juvenile crimes are prosecuted in the Family Court system involving different procedures than adult crimes, with important exceptions.
Recent discussion about reforms of the South Carolina criminal justice system has advocated a holistic approach to the ...
Latest findings of Dartmouth HIV/AIDS study could turn treatment 'on its head'
2011-03-04
LEBANON, NH - A clinical study of anti-HIV/AIDS medicines in the developing world is on the verge of turning "the whole treatment world on its head," according to Dartmouth pediatrician Paul Palumbo.
Palumbo, a professor of pediatric medicine at Dartmouth Medical School and executive director of the Dartmouth-affiliated DarDar Pediatric program in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, unveiled the latest findings of the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Group (IMPAACT ) during the 2011 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in ...
Researchers find new mechanism behind the formation and maintenance of long-term memories
2011-03-04
Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that lactate, a type of energy fuel in the brain, plays a critical role in the formation of long-term memory. These findings have important implications for common illnesses like Alzheimer's disease, other neurodegenerative disorders, aging-related memory impairment and diabetes. The research is published in the March 4th issue of the journal Cell.
The study is the first to closely evaluate the role of lactate and the effect of its transport from astrocytes—a subtype of brain cells—to neurons in long-term memory ...
The Forgotten Laborer
2011-03-04
The White House has created a panel comprised of 18 members to consider changes to Social Security in order to keep it solvent. Among the changes being considered is raising the retirement age. One Republican representative has called for raising the retirement age as high as 70 over the next 20 years; some Democrats are endorsing similar steps.
These considerations and discussions focus largely on employees who work sedentary or less demanding jobs at desks and computers. Lawmakers and those promoting raising the retirement age are comprised largely of those who spent ...
Researchers pinpoint genetic pathways involved in breast cancer
2011-03-04
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Using recent advances in genomics, researchers have uncovered a genetic pathway that affects the development of breast cancer, work that could help predict which patients are at risk of relapse for the disease.
By studying which genes are expressed – or "turned on" – in breast cancer, research led by Michigan State University's Eran Andrechek uncovered a role for several members of the E2F family of genes, which control cell division and growth.
Specifically, Andrechek's team found the activation of the specific gene E2F2 was associated with a ...
Study Finds Mandatory Alcohol Testing for Truck Drivers Has Paid Off
2011-03-04
A study conducted by researchers at Columbia University found that mandatory alcohol testing of motor carrier drivers has resulted in a significant decrease in fatal crashes involving truck, bus and other commercial drivers and alcohol use. The study was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
This study was the first of its kind to provide empirical evidence that the 1995 federal regulations requiring those holding commercial driver's licenses to undergo mandatory testing for alcohol have had an impact on decreasing the incidence of multi-vehicle drunk driving ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Insulin resistance is linked to over 30 diseases – and to early death in women, study of people in the UK finds
Innovative semaglutide hydrogel could reduce diabetes shots to once a month
Weight loss could reduce the risk of severe infections in people with diabetes, UK research suggests
Long-term exposure to air pollution and a lack of green space increases the risk of hospitalization for respiratory conditions
Better cardiovascular health in early pregnancy may offset high genetic risk
Artificial intelligence method transforms gene mutation prediction in lung cancer: DeepGEM data releases at IASLC 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer
Antibody–drug conjugate I-DXd shows clinically meaningful response in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer
IASLC Global Survey on biomarker testing reveals progress and persistent barriers in lung cancer biomarker testing
Research shows pathway to developing predictive biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors
Just how dangerous is Great Salt Lake dust? New research looks for clues
Maroulas appointed Associate Vice Chancellor, Director of AI Tennessee
New chickadee research finds cognitive skills impact lifespan
Cognitive behavioral therapy enhances brain circuits to relieve depression
Terasaki Institute awarded $2.3 Million grant from NIH for organ transplantation research using organs-on-a-chip technology
Atoms on the edge
Postdoc takes multipronged approach to muon detection
Mathematical proof: Five satellites needed for precise navigation
Scalable, multi-functional device lays groundwork for advanced quantum applications
Falling for financial scams? It may signal early Alzheimer’s disease
Integrating MRI and OCT for new insights into brain microstructure
Designing a normative neuroimaging library to support diagnosis of traumatic brain injury
Department of Energy announces $68 million in funding for artificial intelligence for scientific research
DOE, ORNL announce opportunity to define future of high-performance computing
Molecular simulations, supercomputing lead to energy-saving biomaterials breakthrough
Low-impact yoga and exercise found to help older women manage urinary incontinence
Genetic studies reveal new insights into cognitive impairment in schizophrenia
Researcher develops technology to provide cleaner energy and cleaner water
Expect the unexpected: nanoscale silver unveils intrinsic self-healing abilities
nTIDE September 2024 Jobs Report: Gains in employment for people with disabilities appear to level off after reducing gaps with non-disabled workers
Wiley enhances NMR Spectral Library Collection with extensive new databases
[Press-News.org] Study Suggests Correlation Between Low APGAR Scores and Low Birth Weights by Silvers, Langsam, Weitzman, P.C.A new study by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) indicates a direct association between cerebral palsy and low APGAR scores in children with less than normal birth weights.