P-ISSN 2587-2400 | E-ISSN 2587-196X
EJMO. 2018; 2(2): 70-72 | DOI: 10.14744/ejmo.2017.53824

Impact of L-Arginine on Language Skills in Children with Hypoxic–ischemic Encephalopathy

Gokhan Ozer1
1Department of Neurology, Sanko University Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep, Turkey,

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of L-Arginine on speech and language development in pediatric patients with hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Methods: The oral language skills of 24 pediatric patients with HIE using L-Arginine were classified and the impact of L-Arginine on language skills was evaluated retrospectively. While there is no standard dose of L-Arginine, the usual dosage is 2.5 g orally for children younger than 5 years of age and 5 g orally for children older than 5 years of age. Results: The study enrolled 24 pediatric patients with a mean age of 3.9 years (range: 1.25–12 years). A pre-treatment median rating of 1 for oral language development increased to 3 post treatment, according to the results of a Wilcoxon signed-rank test used to examine the statistical significance of the difference between 2 variables. The difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: Although the exact pathophysiology of HIE has not been fully elucidated, it is associated with diffuse cerebral damage that leads to impaired motor and language development; moreover, HIE has no cure. In this study, L-Arginine therapy had a positive and significant impact on language development in children affected by HIE. Additional, larger series are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.


Cite This Article

Ozer G. Impact of L-Arginine on Language Skills in Children with Hypoxic–ischemic Encephalopathy. EJMO. 2018; 2(2): 70-72

Corresponding Author: Gokhan Ozer

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