Epsom salts reduce cases of cerebral palsy, research says

Doctors were able to dramatically cut the rate of disabling brain damage among premature babies using a remedy that is safe, widely available and costs just pennies a dose. The wonder drug? A solution of magnesium sulfate, more commonly known as Epsom salts. A study conducted at UNC-Chapel Hill, Wake Forest Baptist University Medical Center and 18 other medical centers around the country found that giving women in early labor magnesium sulfate infusions reduced by nearly half the number of babies born with serious cases of cerebral palsy. Such children often are confined to wheelchairs and need help performing the most basic tasks, such as eating. Results of the study, which involved 2,241 women at risk of preterm labor, were presented las