Leeds Children's Hospital pioneers sedation-free MRI scans for high-risk babies

Since 1869, the imposing Victorian structure of Leeds Children's Hospital has been a place of both hope and trepidation for families. Parents and loved ones of fragile newborns often arrive with anxiety, knowing their little ones face daunting health challenges. Dr. Malenka Bissell, a consultant in pediatric cardiology, and her team at Leeds Children's Hospital have pioneered a method of performing MRI scans on high-risk babies without sedation or contrast agents. This advancement provides doctors and parents with crucial information to improve the chances of saving these vulnerable infants. The hospital uses a baby MRI incubator, a pioneering advancement that allows babies too fragile to undergo regular MRI and CT scans to be imaged. The baby is wrapped in a thin blanket with cameras built in and placed into the warm incubator, which is then sent through an MRI machine.