A newborn baby has become the first to get a cannabis-derived medicine being trialled to help those with a condition that can lead to brain damage.

Oscar Parodi was born by Caesarean on 11th March at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

He has neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) which is a lack of oxygen or blood flow from the placenta to the baby.

The drug which is already being used to treat children with rare forms of epilepsy but this is the first time it is being used to help treat HIE.

It’s hoped that one day this kind of treatment could be used routinely to treat babies at risk of seizures and brain injury.

The drug, taken from the cannabis plant, is extracted under highly controlled conditions to keep the levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) to an absolute minimum.

Oscar’s mother, Chelsea Parodi, said she agreed for her son to be part of the study because “I wanted to do everything I could to help my baby boy.”

Source: TheExtract