Hypothermia Therapy, or Cooling Therapy, is brain hypothermia induced by cooling a baby to around 33 °C (91.4 F) for three days after birth. It's a treatment for hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, a type of brain dysfunction that occurs when the brain doesn't receive enough oxygen or blood flow for a period of time. It has recently been proven to be the only medical intervention which reduces brain damage, and improves an infant's chance of survival and reduced disability. Source- HIE Help Center
To our sweet baby Henry.
The Children's Hospital at TriStar Centennial in Nashville does Hypothermia Therapy or Cooling Therapy. When the doctor from Centennial came to Murfreesboro to evaluate you, and then decided to transfer you to Centennial, it was because they wanted to do the Cooling Therapy with you. He said they get a baby every couple of weeks that has to have this.
They immediately started you on Cooling Therapy when you arrived at Centennial, and you were there for three solid days. You couldn't be held at all because they didn't want you to warm up. So from the get go, there was no snuggling or skin time with dad, who got there first, because mom was still in Murfreesboro. For more detailed information on Cooling Therapy, go HERE.
Lolo and I left for Nashville that Friday morning around 8am after you had been at Centennial for a few hours. We picked up your dad at the hospital and took him to the Hampton Inn on Elliston Place, which was the closest hotel to the hospital. We booked your mom and dad a room for 7 nights because we knew you would be in NICU for at least 7 nights, and we knew there was no way they would leave you for very long without one of them being close. We stayed with your dad for a while that day, making sure he was ok. He ate and he slept, which was your moms biggest concern. Sidenote: When your dad is worried about you or your mom, he forgets to eat. And sleep.
Your dad was in Nashville with you all day Friday and all day Saturday. The doctors and nurses were so smitten with you! You were adorable and you were showing GREAT signs of being completely healthy and normal with no damage to your brain. But still, there you were with your tubes and your wires and you looked so helpless and so pitiful. It was such a humbling couple of days with a LOT of time spent in prayer.
Sunday was a glorious day for everyone. Your mom got discharged from the hospital!! Lolo and I got to bring her to you and your dad! Your mom was so worried being away from you and your dad, and your dad was crazy being without your mom near. When they first saw each other at the hotel, it was such a God moment. They were so happy to be back together to be able to cheer you on together. We got the sweetest pictures that you will, no doubt, see one day. There was only one thing... they couldn't go into the hospital together. Only one of them at a time got to be with you because of Covid19.
Monday morning 3am: The doctors started raising your temperature back to normal! It took about 9 hours to warm you back to a normal temperature of 37 degrees celsius (98.6 F).
New things...
You love your binky and you hiccup a lot.
You had your first 'meal'! 2ml of breast milk.. Yay!... and you get to start eating every 3 hours.
You kept pulling the oxygen tubes out of your nose so they just took them off. You weren't having them. lol!