UK: A newborn, who stopped breathing just an hour-and-a-half after being born, survived after being ‘refrigerated’ in the back of an ambulance.
Simon Meanwell, now six months, was born normal and healthy until he suddenly stopped breathing, with doctors rushing Simon to a specialist neonatal clinic in a race against time.
In an ambulance, doctors placed Simon in a cooling blanket which helped lower his temperature by 4°C. Such a blanket contains cool circulating water that decreases an infant’s body temperature from 37°C-to-33°C (98°F-to-91°F) for three days, before allowing it to return to normal.
This new treatment is thought to prevent babies who are deprived of oxygen from suffering seizures by slowing the production of harmful substances in their brains and decreasing the rate of brain cell death.
The young boy’s parents James and Helen are now sharing their story to bring awareness about the treatment and raise money for the facilities that saved their son’s life.
SIASAT NEWS