Study Reveals Sex-specific Patterns of Recovery from Newborn Brain Injury

A recent study conducted by the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center may reveal one possible reason why oxygen deprivation to the brain around the time of birth causes worse damage in boys than in girls. Temporary cutoff of oxygen to the brain before, during or immediately after birth can cause a range of neurologic, developmental and learning disorders. The results of the study conducted in mice show that there are inherent differences in the way newborns’ brains react to the sex hormone estradiol. Researchers say that neurons in male and female brains undergo different types of cell death following oxygen deprivation, which may be due to the presence of certain receptors that trigger sex-specific pathways of cell death. The findings highlight the need to explore questions about gender-based therapies that can stimulate brain-cell preservation and aid recovery. To read more about this study, click here.