Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : September 21, 2022 5:22 PM IST
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In a rare case, a team of doctors in Bengaluru used a novel technique, called "Total Body Cooling" to save the life of a 2-day old baby girl, who was diagnosed with neonatal supraventricular tachycardia or neonatal SVT. This is a medical condition that causes the heart to beat faster than normal (120-160 per minute). In this case, the newborn's heartbeat had reached 250-280 per minute (almost double the normal rate). The doctors froze the baby to calm down her racing heart.
The procedure was conducted by a specialized team of neonatologists led by Dr. Prathap Chandra, Neonatologist & Pediatrician, Motherhood Hospitals.
The newborn baby girl was first admitted in a critical state at Hrudaya Hospital in Anantapur. Following an emergency call, the baby was retrieved and brought to the Motherhood Hospitals using "NICU on Wheels."
Initially, the baby was given 3 doses of adenosine to bring her heart rate down, but it didn't help. Next, the neonatologists gave her three more medicines to calm down the racing heart. The doctors even tried giving shock to cardiovert the rhythm, but there were no signs of improvement. Finally, the doctors' team decided to use the Total Body Cooling technique to lower the baby's body temperature from 37 degree Celsius to 33.5 degree Celsius. It helped in bringing back the normal heart rhythm, thus saving the baby's life.
According to the NICU team, the baby girl has now completely recovered from this condition and "is hale and hearty, visiting for regular checkups."
Usually, Total Body Cooling technique is used in conditions when babies do not cry after birth or a newborn's brain does not receive adequate oxygen. This is believed to be the first time that this technique is used on a newborn diagnosed with SVT.
Dr. Prathap Chandra explained, "Since SVT is a condition which disrupts blood flow, to vital organs, cooling helped to reduce the basal metabolic rate, thereby reducing her heart rate. The baby is now almost 4 months old and has been regularly visiting for check-ups and has recovered well."
