News outlets report on a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showing how brain swelling contributes to some malaria deaths in children.

New York Times: Brain Swelling Tied to Deaths From Malaria
“When children die from a severe form of malaria, swelling of the brain is often what kills them, a new study finds. This insight will not change medical practice immediately, but it may lead to improved treatments, researchers said…” (Grady, 3/18).

NPR: How Malaria In The Brain Kills: Doctors Solve A Medical Mystery
“…[Dr. Terrie Taylor of Michigan State University] and her team imaged the brains of about 170 children. The ones who died were much more likely to have massive brain swelling that brought pressure on the brain stem. She and her team published the study Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine…” (Doucleff, 3/18).

Xinhua: Cerebral malaria-related death caused by brain swelling: study
“…The researchers found the brain of the deceased becomes so swollen it is forced out through the bottom of the skull and compresses the brain stem, which controls breathing. They believed that it’s this pressure that causes the children to stop breathing and die. They were also quick to point out that brain swelling is transient and not inevitably fatal…” (3/19).