Doctors were forced to 'freeze' a baby in London in a bid to slow down his 300 beats per minute heart rate in an attempt to save him, according to reports.
Baby Edward Ives was born with the heart condition supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), and given a five percent chance of survival, according to ABC News.His heart rate was nearly double that of a normal 160 beats per minute.
Doctors at University College London Hospital were forced to freeze the baby after repeated attempts to slow the child's pulse through medication and by repeatedly shocking his heart, failed to work. The last option was to lower Edward's body temperature, or freeze his vital organs, in order to slow his heart rate.
"We'd gone through all the usual maneuvers that usually work in babies, giving drugs ... trying to shock the heart, the baby and get [a healthy heart rate back]," said Dr. Nicola Robertson, who works in the neonatal unit at the University College London Hospital.
According to the report, O doctors used a cold gel blanket to lower Edward's body temperature to approximately 91 degrees. Unfortunately, over the next day, as Edward was warmed up, his heart began to race again. So the team again cooled his body temperature, three days after they had initially lowered it.
"It wasn't until 10 days after giving birth that Claire Ives was able to hold her son. A month later she and her husband, Phillip Ives, were able to bring Edward home to join his two older siblings."
Edward Ives is now doing well and is a healthy six-month old but he is being closely monitored to see if the irregular heartbeat returns.
