Doctors say a new technology unveiled today at Connecticut Children's Medical Center will improve outcomes for premature and newborn babies.
Sarah and Chris James know how the right technology can make a difference.
Their pregnancy was going smoothly until the delivery of their daughter Rosie. During ten hours of second-stage labor, Rosie was deprived of oxygen, and was not breathing when born.
Doctors assessed Rosie's condition at the NICU in Danbury, and said she needed a special cooling treatment immediately. That treatment was only available over an hour away in Hartford.
Her father remembers following the ambulance in the snow.
"To be honest, I wasn't sure where I was going." He said his mind was rushing "in a million different directions."
Dr. Marilyn Sanders, a neonatologist at Connecticut Children's, said in cases like Rosie's, cooling can slow down the metabolism and prevent damage.
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She said the technology has proven to be extremely successful.
"It has increased the numbers of babies who have survived without any major neurological problems," she explained.
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center now has, thanks to donors like Pampers, the first mobile cooling unit in the state. The machine, once the size of a refrigerator, is now just the size of a breadbox, and can be transported directly to babies at one of thirteen partner hospitals.
Today, Rosie is 7 years old and at the top of her class. Her mother described her as a miracle and her character as strong and persistent.
"That started from the moment she was born," she said.
Sarah is grateful the same equipment that saved her daughter’s life will now help others.
"It’s ensuring that those babies get whatever they need right away so the consequences of whatever happens at birth are minimized," she said.
