Cooling babies to prevent brain damage

Cooling down newborn babies who were deprived of oxygen during birth can help reduce their risk of brain damage and health problems in later life. The treatment now saves 1,500 babies from death and disability each year. The number of children developing epilepsy has dropped from seven per cent to two per cent since the technique was introduced at St Michael’s Hospital, Bristol, in 2007. It has now been integrated into Nice guidelines and is saving the NHS £200million per year.