As World Prematurity Day (17 November 2024) raises awareness of the hurdles faced by the 15m babies born prematurely each year, 1m of whom do not survive, UK-based medical manufacturer Vygon is sharing the life-saving impact of its thermoregulation technology.
Neonatal transport services across the UK are realising the benefits of a sterile thermal heat regulation suit from Vygon called Neohelp.
Neohelp prevents heat loss amid estimates that up to one-third of infants arriving at their destination hospitals are hypothermic.
As World Prematurity Day (17 November 2024) raises awareness of the hurdles faced by the 15m babies born prematurely each year
Neohelp is specially designed for the thermoregulation phase of ‘The Golden Hour of care’ after a baby is born - and is especially suitable for premature and low birth weight babies.
A recent 18-month study, presented at the British Association of Perinatal Medicine Annual Conference 2023, charted drastic improvements to the temperatures of babies weighing less than 1kg, comparing a Neohelp thermoregulation suit (also called Velcro plastic wrap) to other solutions such as incubators and exothermic warning mattresses, commonly used by transport services.
The research found:
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Overall, normothermic preterm babies arriving at destination hospitals increased from 64% to 79%
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The percentage of hypothermic neonates reduced by 26%, from 33% to 7%
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The mean temperature of preterm babies at arrival destination increased from 36.6oC to 37.0oC
The report concluded that with the novel introduction of a simple method, hypothermia in a preterm <1kg population, decreased by almost one-third. It also hypothesised ‘this will lead to overall improved outcomes’ if rolled out further.
Hypothermia can lead to a cascade of adverse effects, including respiratory distress, metabolic acidosis, and compromised immune function
Neonatal Sales Manager at Vygon UK, Lisa Gagiano, said: "Sadly, it’s reported that for every 13 babies born in the UK, one baby is born premature.
"Hospital admission temperature is a strong predictor of outcomes across all gestations, but we know premature babies are particularly vulnerable. And that hypothermia can lead to a cascade of adverse effects, including respiratory distress, metabolic acidosis, and compromised immune function. Therefore, ensuring optimal thermal management after birth is crucial in safeguarding the well-being and long-term outcomes for these babies.
"Our Neohelp suit not only mitigates the immediate risks associated with hypothermia by ensuring premature neonates arrive at their destination hospitals in a stable condition but also sets the stage for better long-term outcomes and improved quality of life."
One UK service using Neohelp is the Paediatric and Neonatal Decision and Support and Retrieval service (PaNDR). Based in Cambridge University Hospitals and transporting seriously ill neonates and children across the East of England, they have been using the Neohelp suit since 2019.
The global theme of World Prematurity Day 2024 is ‘Small actions, BIG IMPACT: Immediate skin-to-skin care for every baby everywhere’
In addition, over 1,500 of the suits have been supplied to the Welsh Ambulance Service since March 2023.
The global theme of World Prematurity Day 2024 is ‘Small actions, BIG IMPACT: Immediate skin-to-skin care for every baby everywhere’, championing better management and care for premature babies and their families.
Vygon’s Neohelp has also been used to support neonatologists perform more delayed cord clamping in c-section births, keeping neonates at a safe and consistent temperature whilst other essential Golden Hour care takes place.