• Bahubali D Gane, Vishnu Bhat, Ramachandra Rao, S Nandhakumar, K T Harichandrakumar, and B Adhisivam.
• Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Jawaharlal Institute of Post-graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry 605 006, India.
• J. Trop. Pediatr. 2014 Apr 1; 60 (2): 134-40.

ObjectiveTo study the effect of therapeutic hypothermia (TH) on deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage and the neurodevelopmental outcome in term babies with perinatal asphyxia.MethodsBabies in the hypothermia group were cooled for the first 72 h, using gel packs. Rectal temperature of 33-34°C was maintained. Blood sample was collected before, at 36 h and after completion of TH for assessment of comet assay and 8-hydroxy2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). Infants were followed up till 12 months.ResultsBaseline parameters were similar. After 72 h, the hypothermia group showed lower olive tail moment (12.88 ± 2.14) than the control group (22.16 ± 5.26) (p < 0.001). 8-HDG levels increased significantly in the control group (1252.87 ± 357.07) as compared to the hypothermia group (757.03 ± 198.49) (p < 0.001). Neurodevelopmental assessment at 12 months showed significantly low motor and mental developmental quotient in the control than hypothermia group.ConclusionsTH reduces oxidative stress-induced DNA damage and improves neurodevelopmental outcome.

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