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A Growth Factor Heals The Damage To A Preemie's Brain — In Mice

A baby born too soon continues to develop and grow inside an incubator at the neonatal ward of the Centre Hospitalier de Lens in Lens, northern France. Philippe Huguen/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Philippe Huguen/AFP/Getty Images

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A Growth Factor Heals The Damage To A Preemie's Brain — In Mice

Scientists have shown that damage to the brain's "white matter" is responsible for many of the developmental problems that very premature infants often face. Now researchers have also demonstrated that it's possible to prevent that sort of damage in mice.

A Growth Factor Heals The Damage To A Preemie's Brain — In Mice

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Another Study Of Preemies Blasted Over Ethical Concerns

What should parents be told before their premature infants participate in a clinical study? iStockphoto.com hide caption

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iStockphoto.com

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Another Study Of Preemies Blasted Over Ethical Concerns

The study randomly assigns preemies to one group that will get blood transfusions when their anemia is relatively mild or another that won't get them until the anemia is severe. Researchers want to see which approach is better at reducing deaths and brain damage. Critics say the doctors haven't leveled with parents about the risks.

Feds Fault Preemie Researchers For Ethical Lapses

How much oxygen should severely premature infants receive? A study that sought to answer the question has been criticized for not fully informing parents about the risks to their children. iStockphoto.com hide caption

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iStockphoto.com

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Feds Fault Preemie Researchers For Ethical Lapses

Infants received different levels of oxygen to see which was better at preventing blindness without increasing the risk of nerve damage or death. But the federal government says doctors in the study didn't tell parents enough in advance about the "foreseeable risks" to their children.

Care For Earliest Preemies Improves, But Low Birth Weight Remains Risky

Madeline Mann seen shortly after she was born prematurely in in 1989. Weighing 9.9 ounces at birth, she is now an honors student in psychology at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. A. Hayashi, Loyola University Medical Center/AP hide caption

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A. Hayashi, Loyola University Medical Center/AP

Shots - Health News

Care For Earliest Preemies Improves, But Low Birth Weight Remains Risky

Even very tiny preemies sometimes turn out OK, as shown by the stories of two girls who were among the smallest preemies to survive. But infants born very early and weighing very little can face a lifetime of health problems.