Therapeutic Hypothermia in a Tertiary Reference Center of Rio de Janeiro

Purpose of ReviewThe study aims to show how the use of therapeutic hypothermia can provide neurological protection to asphyxiated newborns, as we evaluated 56 children in a tertiary-care teaching hospital in the state of Rio de Janeiro.Recent FindingImplementing hypothermia protocol in asphyxiated newborns can reduce asphyxia morbidity and mortality in developing countries, such as Brazil. This technique improves the quality of life of a significant number of infants.Approximately 3 in every 1000 full-term births suffer with perinatal asphyxia, one of the main causes of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in newborns, which has a significant mortality range. Between survivors of perinatal asphyxia, 25 to 30% have cerebral paralysis as the most important sequelae, in addition to mental retardation, learning deficits to varying degrees, and epilepsy. The use of therapeutic hypothermia protocol in asphyxiated newborns will positively affect neurodevelopment, reducing damages and helping repair functions that asphyxia might have caused.