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

Abstract

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.