Evidence · Randomised trial
Hypothermia for moderate or severe neonatal encephalopathy in low-income and middle-income countries (HELIX): a randomised controlled trial in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
- Delivery room and stabilisation
- Hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy and cooling
- Medical
- Neurodevelopmental follow-up
- Neurology
- Newborn life support
- Nursing
Summary
HELIX was a multicountry open-label randomised controlled trial in seven tertiary NICUs in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. It compared whole-body therapeutic hypothermia for 72 hours with usual care in infants born at or after 36 weeks' gestation with moderate or severe neonatal encephalopathy. Hypothermia did not reduce the combined outcome of death or moderate or severe disability at 18–22 months, but significantly increased mortality. The authors conclude that cooling should not be offered for neonatal encephalopathy in low- and middle-income countries, even where tertiary intensive care is available.
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- Open (Creative Commons)
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