Keeping newborns cool
“With those methods, it can be difficult to maintain a stable temperature,” says neonatologist Dr. Khorshid Mohammad, who spearheaded the purchase of the device.
“The period immediately following birth is critical. We have about a six-hour window to lower these babies’ temperatures to prevent neurological damage. The sooner we can do so, and the more consistent we can make the temperature, the more protective it is and the better their chances of surviving without injury.”
The insulated blanket with a cool liquid inside has been installed on a portable incubator cart that can be sent out with a care team anywhere in southern Alberta — either by ground or air.
“The technology is very simple. Our problem before was that the available machines are heavy. We could not mount it on the transportation incubator,” Mohammad said. “This one is the only one that is light enough to mount it on the incubator so we are pretty excited about this.”
Mohammad says about 60 per cent of highrisk cases, who are suffering from asphyxia, are outside the major care centres.
“If the place is far away from our tertiary centre, sometimes it’s too late to catch them. They are outside of the window already,” he said.
The machines cost between $35,000 and $40,000. Mohammad said there are two or three hospitals in Eastern Canada who are also considering purchasing one but he hopes eventually all hospitals will have this technology.