Could melatonin help save newborn brains after oxygen deprivation?
NCT ID NCT07652801
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether adding melatonin to standard magnesium sulfate treatment improves recovery in full-term newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation at birth. Eighty babies will be split into two groups: one gets magnesium sulfate alone, the other gets magnesium sulfate plus five doses of melatonin. Researchers will measure changes in blood acidity and a marker of cell damage, as well as how long babies stay in the hospital and how soon they can start feeding.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- melatonin and magnesium sulfate
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this combination could reduce brain damage and shorten hospital stays for newborns with oxygen deprivation at birth.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with only 80 babies, so results may not apply widely. Melatonin's safety in newborns is still being studied.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
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