The NECTAr platform: A pan-Canadian platform dedicated to Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy — For patient Care optimization, Training, and educAtion
At birth, some babies suffer from a condition called birth asphyxia, where their brain and organs do not receive enough oxygen or blood, leading to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). This life-threatening condition is responsible for 23% of babies’ deaths worldwide and often results in cerebral palsy and difficulties with learning and everyday functioning. The only current treatment is therapeutic cooling, where the baby’s body is cooled to 33.5°C for 72 hours to prevent brain damage. Unfortunately, this approach does not always work, and many babies still suffer from brain injuries. Currently, no treatment exists to repair brain damage caused by HIE. Research has shown that some supportive treatments given to these babies during their first critical days can either worsen or improve brain damage, and these treatments vary between hospitals.
We propose creating a national, collaborative, and multidisciplinary platform focused on improving the care and long-term outcomes of babies with HIE. Hope for HIE, an international parent organization with >400 Canadian families, has partnered with our team of neonatal brain health experts across Canada to design this platform. Our goal is to address all aspects of HIE to improve the future of affected infants. The platform’s priorities include improving early treatments by collecting extensive data and comparing practices across hospitals, developing and testing new therapies to repair brain damage, empowering parents through their journey, and training the next generation of doctors and scientists to care for these vulnerable babies.
Partners and Donors
Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation; Fondation Courtois
