A recent study has revealed that a method which "washes out" the brains of premature babies, who are severely ill, might just be the best survival aid for such infants.

It has been revealed that bleeding in the brain is one of the most common and feared complications for babies who are born premature, as it can lead to severe brain damage or even death.

The study undertaken by Bristol University, which involved as many as 77 babies, discovered that the technique, which involves draining the brain, all the while introducing new fluids, could end up significantly cutting the risk.

It has been estimated that the new technique could end up benefitting about 100 premature babies every year.

Experts have termed the new findings as "encouraging".

"This is the first time that any treatment anywhere in the world has been shown to benefit these very vulnerable babies", said lead researcher and pediatric neurosurgeon Ian Pople.

Results of the study have been published in the Pediatrics journal.