Could HBO2 help nervous system damage in newborns?
The development of the myelin sheaths, which form the white of white matter by covering the nerve fibers normally, begins at about two weeks before term. The process begins in the spinal cord and proceeds towards the newest areas of the brain to develop – the frontal lobes of the hemispheres – being complete by about the age of 2. The blood vessels of the brain undergo dramatic changes in the last 2 weeks in utero in preparation for birth. If a child is born prematurely the brain, may not be able to deal with the period of oxygen deficiency during delivery – in the change from placental to lung oxygen transfer. As a result, there is development of edema and as a consequence oxygen deficiency (hypoxia) in the mid brain. The damage prevents the migration of the oligodendrocytes, which form myelin forward from the brain stem, and so the white matter does not develop. The extent to which this process can be ameliorated depends on the degree of damage – in the most severely affected childre
