The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn (The QEH) has received a new piece of equipment that will allow babies born before their due date to have life-saving treatment at their mother’s bedside.
The LifeStart Resuscitator Trolley is a mobile unit that can be placed beside the mother during birth, allowing parent and child to remain close. It is equipped with a range of features that allow clinicians to deliver immediate resuscitation to newborn babies, even with the umbilical cord attached, maximising blood flow from the placenta to the baby. Currently the hospital uses a standing resuscitator, which is less portable and requires the umbilical cord to be cut before the baby is transferred for further care.
The resuscitator trolley is also fitted with a heated mattress to keep the baby warm, which is essential for newborns, particularly those born prematurely.
Crucial bedside support
Dr Risa Birbal, Consultant Paediatrician at The QEH, said: “The LifeStart Resuscitator Trolley will make a profound difference in how we care for premature babies, ensuring that we can provide life-saving interventions while allowing parents to stay close to their newborns during these critical early stages.
“When premature babies are born, they often require immediate assistance with breathing and heart rate. The trolley allows us to provide this crucial support right at the bedside, while also allowing us to perform delayed cord clamping – an intervention that has been shown to provide significant health benefits for premature infants.”
Charity funding
The new equipment cost £12,250 and has been funded by the hospital’s League of Friends Charity.
Penny Hipkin, Chair of the League of Friends, said: “The LifeStart Resuscitator Trolley is exactly the kind of equipment that the League of Friends was established to fund. We are delighted to be able to contribute to the provision of this life-saving technology, which will have a lasting positive impact on our hospital’s tiniest and most vulnerable patients.
“Our ability to fund this purchase comes from the generosity of our local community, and we are incredibly proud of the difference we are making to these families during such a critical time.”
Read more about the League of Friends charity here.
