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St. Cloud Hospital Using Cooling Therapy On Babies

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) -- St. Cloud Hospital has used cooling therapy on a newborn for the first time.

Cooling an infant can prevent or reduce the severity of a brain injury. The hospital recently used the therapy on Oliver Manlove of Hubbard. Hospital officials say Oliver's brain was deprived of oxygen during birth. Brain injuries during birth can result in life-long complications such as cerebral palsy and seizure disorders.

Doctors say the sooner a baby is cooled, the better the outcome. The infant is cooled for 72 hours, then gradually re-warmed.

The hospital has been using the therapy on adults since 2005. The clinical director of the Children's Center, Diane Pelant, says that having the therapy allows the hospital to keep those infants that would have normally been transferred to the Twin Cities for treatment.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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