Heat-loss prevention suit reduces hypothermia in neonates by almost a third, finds study
Neonatal transport services across the UK are realising the benefits of a sterile thermal heat regulation suit from Vygon called Neohelp. It prevents heat loss amid estimates that up to one third of infants arriving at their destination hospitals are hypothermic. More than 40,000 Neohelp suits have been supplied across over 150 hospitals and ambulance services.
An 18-month study, which was presented at the British Association of Perinatal Medicine Annual Conference 2023, charted significant 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 that overall, normothermic preterm babies arriving at destination hospitals increased from 64% to 79%. The percentage of hypothermic neonates reduced by 26%, from 33% to 7%. The mean temperature of preterm babies at arrival destination increased from 36.6 degrees celcius to 37.0 degrees celcius.
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.
Lisa Gagiano, neonatal sales manager at Vygon UK, 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 wellbeing 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 at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and transporting seriously ill neonates and children across the East of England, it has been using the Neohelp suit since 2019.
In addition, more than 1,500 of the suits have been supplied to the Welsh Ambulance Service since March 2023.
Gagiano adds: “The introduction of Neohelp into neonatal transfer services represents a significant stride forward in improving thermoregulation and enhancing outcomes for preterm and low birth weight infants.
“As neonatal transfer services across the country embrace this innovative solution, the future looks promising for ensuring the wellbeing of our most vulnerable patients during transport.”
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.
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