Response.

Thank you for your comments[1] and interest in the article.[2] Severity of Asphyxia, whatever the cause, is the most important determinant for the outcome of asphyxia.

Magnesium has been studied rather well in the treatment of Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension in a newborn and there are several reports on its safety in severe asphyxia, including one by us.[3-6]

Certainly magnesium given to the mother crosses the placenta and is likely to affect the fetus. Magnesium has been used in the treatment of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) in the mother for long, and reportedly, the asphyxiated infants of these mothers had a more favorable outcome than those with no Mg. It is a good suggestion to study the outcome of asphyxia in neonates where Mg has been administered to the mothers. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) that studied the effect of magnesium sulfate given for neuroprotection before preterm birth, reported an improvement in the neurological outcome, with reduced rates of cerebral palsy.[7]