A 15-minute scan could help diagnose brain damage in newborns

A 15-minute scan could help diagnose brain damage in babies up to two years earlier than current methods. In a study of over 200 babies at seven hospitals across the UK and the USA, researchers found the brain scan, called magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy, predicted damage with 98 per cent accuracy. Brain damage affects around one in 300 births in the UK, and is usually caused by oxygen deprivation. However, currently doctors are unable to accurately assess the extent of a newborn baby's brain damage. "At the moment parents have an incredibly anxious two-year wait before they can be reliably informed if their child has any long-lasting brain damage Dr Sudhin Thayyil Study author Any child suspected of having some type of damage is given an MRI scan shortly after birth. This allows doctors to look at black and white pictures of the brain see if any areas of the brain look lighter than others, as this may suggest damage. Doctors then use this information to give parents an estimation of the extent of the damage, and the possible long-term disabilities their child may face.