Commentary on: “Delayed necrostatin-1s infusion attenuates cystic white matter injury in preterm fetal sheep.”

Preterm birth is a major global health problem that carries a significant risk for life-long neurodevelopmental disabilities. Rates of prematurity worldwide are not declining and roughly range between 5 and 15 ​% [1]. Of all live births in the U.S., 1 in 10 are born preterm. Although neonatal care advances have led to significant improvements in viability of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, improved survival has been accompanied by growing numbers of pre-term survivors with chronic neurological disabilities that include the spastic motor deficits of cerebral palsy (CP) as well as a broad spectrum of cognitive and learning disabilities.