In a world where 1 in 10 babies is born prematurely, providing the best care right from the start is critical in helping them avoid lifelong health issues.
“These tiny babies have no fat at all to keep them warm,” says Abhay Singhal, MD, neonatologist at IU Health Arnett Hospital. “The Babyleo® is an innovative system that, in some ways, simulates a mother’s womb, helping the baby thrive in an environment much like the one they just left.”
Six Babyleos® recently arrived in the Neonatal Intensive Care unit (NICU) at Arnett Hospital. The Babyleos® were blessed by the hospital’s chaplaincy team and immediately put to use.
Dräger’s Babyleo® TN500 is a state-of-the-art incubator for premature babies. The Babyleo® is designed to regulate the temperature and stimulation these fragile patients need to mature, while making it even easier for the NICU team to care for them.
Keeping babies warm and comfortable helps them thrive
Each Babyleo® unit—also referred to as an isolette—uses a combination of three heat sources to keep the baby’s temperature stable. A tiny device like a thermometer lays on the baby’s skin, while a computer constantly monitors the baby’s temperature, keeping it at 98.6 degrees by automatically turning on and off the warmers as needed so that heat loss and overheating are avoided.
“Before the Babyleo®, the NICU nurses would have to manually adjust warmers in the isolettes to ensure preemies stayed at normal body temperature,” says Singhal.
The Babyleo® also gently mists sterile water to adjust the humidity.
“The premature baby was floating in amniotic fluid inside the mom, and their skin is not ready to be out in the dry, dry air,” says Singhal.
The isolettes also ensure that noise and light levels stay within a healthy range, and can play a recording of the mother’s heartbeat, voice recordings from the parents or music the parents choose.
“Access to high-tech advancements like the Babyleo® gives our preemies the best opportunities for growth, development and positive outcomes” says Singhal.
