Vitamin C and encephalopathy
Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy is brain damage that results from a shortage of oxygen or blood flow.
Researchers from Washington DC and Cairo, Egypt combined intravenous injections of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) with ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin; a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) to this condition.
First, the details.
- 60 asphyxiated infants were assigned to a treatment group.
- Ascorbic acid injected into a vein + ibuprofen taken by mouth for 3 days
- Placebo
- Neither the researchers nor the patients knew the treatment given — double blind.
And, the results.
- There were no differences between groups in the severity of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy at enrollment.
- There were no differences between groups in the following outcomes.
- Concentrations of IL-1beta and IL-6 (proteins that affect immunity and inflammation)
- Mortality
- Nerve abnormalities at hospital discharge
- Developmental delay at 6 months of age
- IL-1beta and IL-6 blood levels correlated with the severity of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy at birth.
- But only serum IL-6 correlated with neurodevelopmental outcome at 6 months.
The bottom line?
The anti-oxidant action of vitamin C had no effect on the outcome of this condition.
The authors acknowledge that these results do not address issues related to dosing and route of administration of vitamin C or ibuprofen.
3/19/09 18:13 JR