Hang Tran, doctoral student in the Global Child Health and Sustainable Development Goals research team has successfully defended her thesis, titled Clinical and experimental implementation of standardized hypothermia treatment for neonatal asphyxia in low-income setting. Her research in Vietnam explores the use of phase changing material to cool babies with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.
Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) occurs when an infant's brain is deprived of oxygen or blood supply before, during, or after delivery. Mild to moderate cases may fully recover, but severe cases can lead to permanent brain damage or death. Therapeutic hypothermia (TH), which lowers the baby's body temperature, is the standard treatment, improving survival and reducing disability in moderate to severe HIE. However, implementing TH in low-middle income countries faces challenges. This PhD thesis explores the effectiveness of a low-cost cooling method, Phase Change Material (PCM), through four studies conducted in resource-limited settings.
"I am based in Vietnam and my study is the first ever in the country. We see so many opportunities to expand and implement the use of this low-cost method in a broader context. Especially in resource constrained settings like mountainous areas where they have a lot of patients but are inaccessible to the treatment methods. We can implement this in larger areas so we can have more babies" says Hang.
The defense took place August 23, at Widerströmska Building, Campus Solna and via Zoom.
