Thanks to the support of the Good Friday Appeal, The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) will soon invest in MRI-compatible neonatal transport ventilators. This life-saving equipment will significantly improve care for babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where even short movements for scans or surgery carry serious risk. This vital investment will allow vulnerable babies to be transported more safely and with greater ease.

Transporting a critically ill newborn is never simple. Even small movements can cause instability for babies whose lungs and bodies are still developing. Neonatal transport ventilators provide continuous, reliable breathing support while babies are moved to operating theatres or imaging suites, including the MRI suite, where specialised equipment is essential.

“MRI machines use powerful magnetic fields to create detailed images that help us understand a baby’s condition and plan treatment,” explained Dr Trisha Prentice, Deputy Director of the NICU at the RCH.

“That environment requires equipment that can operate safely within those magnetic fields, without compromising the baby’s safety or the quality of the imaging,” she added.

MRI-compatible neonatal transport ventilators are purpose-built for this challenge. They allow babies who are intubated or need ongoing respiratory support to be safely transported into the MRI suite, while maintaining consistent breathing support. Without this specialised technology, these critical investigations would be far more difficult.

“These brand-new ventilators give us much greater flexibility than our older machines,” Trisha shared.

“They allow us to closely match the breathing support a baby receives at their bedside, which helps minimise disruption and keeps babies comfortable during transport. By optimising the breathing support we provide, we’re not just keeping babies safe in the short term, we’re also protecting their lungs for the future,” she further emphasised.

The new devices also provide enhanced monitoring and real-time feedback, allowing clinicians to see exactly how a baby is responding and adjust support as needed. This reduces clinical risk during transport and ensures babies receive the highest standard of care throughout their journey.

For families, the benefits are deeply felt. The NICU is an incredibly stressful environment, and watching a baby be moved for scans or procedures can heighten anxiety. Knowing that their child is being supported by state-of-the-art equipment offers reassurance during some of the most difficult moments they will ever face.

“Having access to modern, reliable equipment helps families trust that their baby is receiving the best possible care,” Trisha shared.

Equipment like MRI-compatible neonatal transport ventilators has an immediate and lasting impact on patient care – and none of this would be possible without philanthropic support.

“We simply couldn’t provide the level of care we do without the support of our donors and the wider community,” Trisha highlighted.

“These ventilators are essential in supporting critically ill babies across the hospital, and they can only enhance the care we provide to our most vulnerable patients. We are incredibly grateful to the Good Friday Appeal for helping us invest in this vital technology,” she continued.

“The brand-new neonatal transport ventilator is essential in supporting critically ill babies across the hospital. It offers safe, reliable, and future-proof transport capability and can only enhance the care that the RCH provides for its most vulnerable patients. Thank you to the Good Friday Appeal and the community for helping us invest in this essential technology.”

– Dr Trisha Prentice, Acting Director of the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at The Royal Children’s Hospital