A lifesaving device that monitors how well newborn babies are breathing has the potential to transform neonatal care.
The British-made patented product combines two sensors into one smaller device. One measures how much air is going in and out of the lung and the other measures carbon dioxide being expelled, which shows how effective lungs are working.
Too much carbon dioxide can irreversibly harm the brain.
The device, made and manufactured by Europlaz in Chelmsford, Essex, is being used in trials at Barts NHS Trust, one of the world’s most prestigious teaching hospitals.
Product Development Manager Frede Jensen said: “We are dealing with the tiniest of lives, so it is imperative we give clinical teams the best possible technology to help them do their jobs. “This is exactly what this innovation does with the side sampling port delivering the stable and accurate readings of carbon dioxide being exhaled that they need to better inform the care of the child, and the level of ventilation support required.
“Before, the two sensors had to sit next to each other and it was like making a baby breathe through a very long snorkel, making it harder to ensure carbon dioxide was getting out of the pathway.
“Our new sensor makes the ‘snorkel’ much shorter and checks that babies are getting rid of the right amount of carbon dioxide to keep them safe and healthy.”
The device will be used to constantly monitor babies born prematurely or in distress – reducing the possibility of longer-term conditions like cerebral palsy or lung disease.
Sick or preterm newborns are treated in neonatal intensive care units where they receive around-the-clock care from a speciliast team of experts using advanced technology. The length of a baby’s stay in the NICU depends on their condition. Some stay for weeks or months.
Mr Jensen added: “Europlaz has been manufacturing neonatal flow sensors for more than 10 years and we have sold over one million to date – all without the sampling port. This must change, and we believe that when one hospital or manufacturer commits to it, the rest will follow.
“It just makes too much sense not to. Why not embrace a product that gives you greater clarity, greater control and a greater chance of saving a baby’s life?
“There is also a financial element to it as well, with 60% of NHS Resolution’s £9bn liability budget spent in 2018/19 dealing with cases involving maternity care.”
