• The cannabis based drug has previously been used for epilepsy treatment and this study is being conducted in babies as part of a research to prevent seizures which can lead to brain damage.
   
• Professor Paul Clarke, Neonatal consultant at Norwich University Hospital believes that closer brain monitoring in babies will detect any seizures experienced.

Oscar Parodi, an 11-week-old infant in Britain has become the first baby in the world to be administered a cannabis-based medicine to prevent seizures. The baby was born with HIE (hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy) and is currently receiving treatment at Norwich University Hospital. HIE is caused in babies due to a lack of supply of oxygen from the placenta to the baby.

This drug has been commonly used to treat children with epilepsy but this is the first time the drug is being trialed to observe its effectiveness in preventing seizures and brain injury in a baby suffering from HIE. Researchers hope that treatment through this drug can be routinely administered for children at risk of brain injury and seizures.

Two babies have been enrolled in this study so far. Professor Paul Clarke, consultant Neonatologist at Norwich University Hospital said that they were proud to have recruited the very first babies to take part in this study and pointed out that this is the first time the intravenous drug will be tested on human babies. He also called closer brain monitoring in babies as an attraction for families to take part in the study and gives more assurance that any seizures experienced will be picked up.

The first trials across the UK and Europe will take about a year to finish and developments in babies will be checked for a period of 30 days, 6 months, and 12 months after being discharged. 

Source Credits: https://news.sky.com/story/british-baby-is-worlds-first-to-get-cannabis-derived-medicine-to-prevent-seizures-11995356