A procedure which involves “cooling” newborn babies who are at risk of severe disability or death due to oxygen deprivation, has been deemed “safe and effective” enough for NHS use, according to NICE.
Professor Bruce Campbell, chair of the Interventional Procedures Advisory Committee which produced the guidance for NICE said: “Having analysed the evidence, it is clear that therapeutic hypothermia is better than standard intensive care treatments at reducing the risks for carefully selected newborn babies who have been deprived of oxygen. It has been shown to decrease their chance of dying or of developing severe neurological damage. “Therapeutic hypothermia does, however, have some risks and possible complications, such as localised bleeding or infection. It is therefore very important that it is only carried out by specifically-trained staff and in units that are accustomed to looking after severely ill newborn babies. We also expect healthcare professionals to record the details and outcomes of all babies who have this treatment so that we can learn more about it. We would like to know more about its long term benefits and specifically which patient groups it is likely to help the most, because not all babies will benefit.” To support this clinical audit, NICE is encouraging healthcare professionals to record the details of babies undergoing therapeutic hypothermia onto a national register called the UK TOBY cooling register.
