Department of paediatrics and child health senior lecturer Max Berry, who also works in Wellington Hospital, has been awarded a grant from the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand to investigate the use of neurosteroid analogue therapy to prevent behavioural and neurodevelopmental disorders developing in children and adolescents born prematurely.
The foundation's latest round of funding was announced last week.
Dr Berry said despite ``all best efforts'' babies born early still had higher rates of learning and developmental problems than full-term children.
``We want to try and reduce this gap so that children thrive, irrespective of their gestational age.''
Dr Berry said research she had previously undertaken showed hormones a baby would have been exposed to had it stayed in the womb until full term helped with brain development, and when babies were born early, they missed out on those vital hormones.
``We are trying to find ways to replace the beneficial effects of these hormones by giving a replacement therapy in the time between preterm birth and the due date.
``It's so important that these preterm babies don't suffer health and wellbeing disadvantage through the rest of their lives. We want to develop new therapies so this ongoing health disparity is prevented.''
Four other Otago researchers received grants from the Neurological Foundation in the latest round of funding.
Prof Cliff Abraham received funding to continue his investigations into the birth of new nerve cells in the adult brain.
Dr Rebekah Blakemore, of the Christchurch campus, received $168,190 for her investigations into Parkinson's disease.
Clinical pharmacy senior lecturer Dr Ailsa McGregor received $197,195 for research focusing on enhancement of motor recovery after stroke, and Prof David Bilkey, of the department of psychology, received a grant of $14,925 to continue his research into schizophrenia.