For many premature and critically ill newborns, McMaster Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is the first home they will ever know. These at-risk babies often need breathing support and special care for many difficulties. They may spend weeks or months in hospital as their families anxiously stay by their side.
McMaster Children’s Hospital NICU was incredibly grateful to receive generous support from donors to purchase three CritiCool Blankets.
The CritiCool Blanket is a system to assist with the treatment of “therapeutic hypothermia”. This vital treatment is used to help reduce brain damage in newborns, due to a lack of oxygen. The infant’s body temperature is cooled, and the baby is carefully monitored and rewarmed to normal body temperature after 72 hours.
“I want to express my gratitude to Foundation donors that helped purchase these cooling blankets for our most vulnerable and youngest patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit,” says Deb Barnard, Clinical Manager of the NICU. “They are truly life-saving pieces of equipment that give our highly specialized medical team a critical resource in providing exemplary care.”
