Charitable funds have enabled the UCLH neonatal team to undertake ground-breaking research over the course of many years.
One of the unit’s pioneering research projects, which Early Lives is proud to support, is its research into cooling treatments. This is where full term babies, who have suffered a lack of oxygen during labour and delivery, are cooled to below normal temperature to protect their developing brains. Over the years, this has both saved the lives of babies and prevented many cases of disability including cerebral palsy.
Dr Giles Kendall, Clinical Lead of the UCLH neonatal unit, says “Much of the research that first led to this treatment was performed by our team at UCLH and UCL. Our ongoing research uses a special type of MRI to measure chemical levels within the brains of babies. This is helping us to better understand the process of newborn brain injury, which is vital for the development of new treatments for babies in the future.”
