A research, jointly led by Andrew Whitelaw, Professor of neonatal medicine at the University of Bristol, and Ian Pople, pediatric neurosurgeon at North Bristol NHS Trust, has pioneered a brain washing technique which would have the tendency to lower down the death rate of premature babies.

The research has the objective to reduce the probability of the bleeding among premature babies during pregnancy due to damage of fragile blood vessels.

The study, which extended from 2003 to 2006, examined 77 premature babies suffering from hemorrhages in Bristol, Glasgow, Katowice in Poland and Bergen in Norway. Out of 77 premature babies, 39 had the ventricles washed out and 38 went through the standard treatment. On attaining the age of two, these survivors were studied by different evaluators, 54 percent of the infants being washed out died in comparison to 71 percent in the standard group.

The study reveals that 31 percent had severe cognitive disability versus the 59 percent in the standard group.

Andy Cole, of Bliss, the premature baby charity, said, "The early results of this technique are encouraging and we look forward to seeing how these findings might be translated into treatments that could ensure better outcomes for these vulnerable babies."