Xenon Gas to Prevent Brain Injury

Every year in the UK more than 1,000 otherwise healthy babies born at full term die or suffer brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen or blood supply at birth.

"Riley Joyce had no pulse and was not breathing when he was first arrived at the hospital. He had a 50/50 chance of permanent brain injury and was transferred to St Michael's Hospital, Bristol."

The process is Xenon gas is given to babies to breath in and it cools down the brain and reduced their chances of brain injuries. The only problem is that this treatment can be very expensive but it is still in the trial stage and will be tested on a minimum of 12 babies within the next month. From there, researchers will determine whether this treatment can be used on a larger scale.

(The study is being funded by Sparks, the children's medical research charity.)

I thought this article was very benefitial because we have a finite amout if xenon gas that could be used to help other. Of course, like everything else it is an expensive process. I never thought that the gas flowing through my headlights could be used in a more legal way. I hope that this trial continues to be funded and will be used more frequently.