The procedure, a pioneering cooling technique that was only ruled safe and effective last year, slows down the metabolism of the brain and enables it to repair itself. Ella was taken to the ICU and wrapped in a blanket filled with cold water that allowed her temperature to to plummet from 37C to 33.5C.
“When we went to see her in the hospital, she was wired up to every kind of machine and tube imaginable,” her father Jason, 33, explains to UK newspaper The Sun. “I laid my hand on her head – and she was ice cold to the touch.”
After 72 hours of “freezing,” Ella’s body heat slowly raised by half a degree at a time and doctor’s removed the cold blanket. 11 days later she was sent home and now a 9-month-old Ella has amazed doctors with her incredible progress. She still needs physiotherapy, but medical scans have shown that there are no abnormalities in her brain.
“We still can’t be sure of the future or what problems she might face,” Ella’s mom Rachel says, “but so far she’s gone from strength to strength.” Incredible!
“It was originally thought that if you were starved of oxygen the damage to the brain was instant,” Ella’s physician, Dr. Topun Austin explains. “Actually the damage takes a few days. Until recently there hasn’t been any real treatment. Cooling is now universally seen as the standard care for infants who suffer from a lack of oxygen at birth, like Ella,” he adds. “It is very important that infants eligible for this treatment are identified early, as the sooner cooling starts the better.”
More than 1,000 babies a year die or suffer from brain damage caused by lack of oxygen at birth. And those who survive can be left with disabilities such as cerebral palsy. This cooling technique can be something that changes this problem forever.
–Leigh Blickley
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