Innovative method

Gentle MRI examination used for babies

This is how the baby was made MRI-ready.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/OÖG)

Examining babies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is not that easy. At the Pyhrn-Eisenwurzen Clinic in Steyr (Upper Austria), a completely new and, above all, very gentle method has now been successfully used for the first time.

"MRI examinations of infants are generally used to diagnose the brain. Magnetic resonance imaging is an indispensable tool in radiology, as it provides high-resolution images of all regions of the body without the need for X-rays," according to a press release from the Upper Austrian Health Holding.

Previously only with anesthesia
However, because the patient has to remain still for a long time during the examination, this is very difficult with babies. For this reason, anesthesia has often been used in the past, but this is a considerable strain on the little baby's body. 

Fed and wrapped
An innovative and much gentler method, the so-called "feed and wrap" technique, has now been used for the first time in Steyr. This method, which has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon world, means "feed and wrap". "The baby is first fed or breastfed, then falls asleep and is placed in a vacuum mattress and secured. The stress of a general anesthetic and the associated stress for the child is completely eliminated," says head physician Oliver Wagner, explaining the procedure.

During the approximately one-hour examination, the little patient is continuously monitored to ensure maximum safety. There is also a restriction, as the method can only be used up to the third month of life.