Ice, ice, baby: Infant survives 17 minutes without breath, treated in ‘fridge’ suit

Sophie Fleet was born on February 11th, weighing a healthy 8 lb. 11 oz.

For the first 17 minutes of her life, she didn't breathe.

Complications at birth posed an immediate threat to her survival while a blockage in her airway starved her brain of oxygen.

Her helpless parents watched and prayed as doctors took immediate action, lowering the infant's body temperature from a normal 37°C to 33.5°C hoping to reduce the swelling in her brain.

For three days little Sophie wore a "fridge" suit that was pumped with water to keep her body at a temperature low enough to reduce pressure on her brain.

Temperatures this low bring on hypothermia. In Sophie's case, however, induced hypothermia saved her life.

Neonatologist Huw Jones at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Hants, U.K., where Sophie was treated describes the treatment to The Daily Mail:

"The suit the baby wears constantly monitors the temperature and the machine will pump cooler water round the suit if the baby warms up, or warmer water if the baby gets too cold ... The process is something we've seen work well and we've had some good success stories with babies pulling through and being better than we would have expected."

Since acquiring the equipment in 2009, Queen Alexandra has treated 14 infants with the cooling technology.

After 72 hours of being swaddled in coldness, Sophia's body was slowly warmed up to normal temperatures over a 12-hour process.

Tests have since shown she suffered mild brain damage as a result of the traumatic ordeal.

Cain Fleet, the child's father, tells The Daily Mail, "Had she not had this treatment, the brain damage could have been severe or it could have been fatal. We're so grateful that our local hospital has this equipment."

Nine days after her breathless birth, Sophie went home with her parents.

Sophie's mother, Natasha Hall, is grateful to have her daughter home. And while only time will tell what the long-term consequences will be on Sophie's health, proud mom is happy to announce: "So far she's doing everything a baby should be doing."