Several articles have popped up in the past couple of weeks that I think you’ll all be interested in. The first two are positive news on the preeclampsia research front, and number three is a new study that may lead to a reduction in chronic lung disease in preemies who experience respiratory distress syndrome after birth:

  1. Digibind Protects Kidney Function - Phase 2 B trial results have been released from the DEEP trial, which studied the effect of a digoxin immune fab called Digibind on the development of complications in preeclampsia. Results showed that women with severe preeclampsia who received Digibind had significantly less deterioration of their kidney function than women who received a placebo. The study didn’t show a significant difference in time to delivery, but it wasn’t designed with enough power to look at that outcome. Hopefully larger studies will show additional benefits.
  2. Chocolate Reduces Preeclampsia? - Researchers looked at reports of chocolate consumption during pregnancy, and found that women who reported consuming 5 or more servings of chocolate a week had a lower incidence of preeclampsia. Chemicals in dark chocolate have previously been linked to improved cardiovascular health, so researchers had theorized that these chemicals could also impact placental blood flow and influence the development of preeclampsia.
  3. Changing Method of Surfactant Use - An upcoming study will be looking at the effects of a less traumatic method of administering surfactant to premature babies, in hopes of reducing ventilator damage and the eventual development of chronic lung disease. The study will look at 60 babies. 30 will receive surfactant the traditional way, and 30 will have their endotracheal tubes removed immediately and will be placed on CPAP instead of a ventilator. The babies will then be examined after one week, and again at 36 weeks gestational age. One of the diagnostic features of chronic lung disease is a need for supplemental oxygen beyond 36 weeks.

As always, I hope these studies will be stepping stones, leading to real improvement in pregnancy outcomes and longterm health in preemies. While we’re waiting, go grab some chocolate!

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