Hendrick Health neonatal transport now equipped with innovative infant cooling system

When Stork Care by Hendrick is called to transport a critically ill newborn to Hendrick Health’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the team understands receiving treatment as soon as possible is crucial.

With the addition of a new, portable, state-of-the-art infant whole-body cooling system, fragile newborns do not have to wait until they arrive at Hendrick Health to begin a treatment called therapeutic hypothermia.

The Tecotherm NEO infant cooling system is designed for newborns who experience reduced oxygen or blood flow to the brain during delivery. The cooling system slowly lowers the infant’s body temperature, but the effectiveness of the therapy greatly depends on initiation within six hours of delivery.

“Being able to start therapy in the field gives these babies a fighting chance,” said Richard Deulofeut, MD, neonatologist and Hendrick Health NICU medical director. “And because the Tecotherm NEO infant cooling system is transportable, whole-body cooling therapy can begin when we arrive at the referring facility and continue during transport to our NICU.”

A newborn deprived of oxygen or blood to the brain may develop hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a serious condition that can result in permanent brain damage, physical complications or even death. Studies show reducing the infant’s body temperature approximately 6 degrees from the normal 98.6 F for 72 hours slows the newborn’s metabolic rate, which in turn may reduce brain injury and improve long-term outcomes.

The addition of the transportable infant cooling system was made possible through local donations to Children’s Miracle Network to benefit healthcare of infants and children in the Abilene area. Hendrick Health’s NICU features state-of-the-art technology in a family-centered environment.