When babies are born unable to breathe properly, they can develop hypoxia-ischemia (HI), a condition which occurs when the Brain doesn’t receive enough oxygen.  HI may cause long-term side effects, including brain damage, of varying severity.  With limited treatment options available to premature newborn and babies, researchers have been searching for an effective method to protect delicate brain cells.  Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, or chemical component of the hemp plant, has previously demonstrated short-term neuroprotective properties on the brain, following a HI injury, during clinical studies.

As a follow-up to previous studies, researchers at the Foundation for Biomedical Research in Madrid, Spain, examined the neuroprotective effects of CBD and if those effects were sustainable long-term.  Newborn rats sustained a HI injury, with some receiving CBD treatment alongside non-treated rats.  After 30 days, the rats were subjected to Magnetic Resonance imaging, histological evaluation, magnetic resonance spectroscopy and Western blotting to evaluate whether the CBD treatments had any lasting effects on the brain tissue. Their results showed that CBD effectively modulated brain excitotoxicity, oxidative stress and inflammation.  This study recognizes the important role of CBD in treating neonatal HI injuries, in addition to, protecting newborns from long-term brain damage.

To read more about the aforementioned study, please click here.