Hope for tiny baby lungs with new technology introduced

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute has recorded the most detailed images ever made of newborns' lungs as they took their first breaths, sharing that the breakthrough is on track to improve treatment of breathing problems in babies.

David Tingay, a Researcher at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, said that respiratory problems are the most common reason for hospitals treating babies in intensive care.

The team used a cutting edge-technology called electrical impedance tomography, a non-invasive method where a small silk belt is placed around an infant’s chest. This enabled doctors and nurses to capture the most detailed images ever recorded deep in the lungs.

"This new technology not only allows us to see deep into the lungs but is also the only method we have of continuously imaging the lungs without using radiation or interrupting life-saving care,” David said.

"This study has shown that babies' lungs are far more complicated than traditional monitoring methods had previously suggested."

This incredible study has bridged a gap for doctors that are working to improve interventions in the delivery room and understanding the processes that define success and failure of breathing at birth.

What an incredible and major breakthrough for medical staff and families of premature and sick babies.