World’s first miniature dialysis machine has saved eight babies, say Italian scientists
Scientists raise money to build equipment, which has now helped eight babies survive
The world's first miniaturised kidney dialysis machine has saved the lives of eight babies in nine months, the Italian scientists who raised the money to build it said yesterday.
Until now, babies with kidney failure were treated with machines built for adults.
The machines have smaller filters and other imprecise adaptations that tend to withdraw too much or too little of the waste fluid building up in the body.
"Incredible, but true," said Claudio Ronco from the San Bortolo Hospital's renal research institute in Vicenza. "It's like using a tool for a car to fix a watch."
Yet companies have been loath to invest in baby-targeted machines as they are not profitable enough, he added.
"The number of infants around the world that suffer from this disorder is very small and therefore there is no point for a company to invest in technology."