Our Community Champion, Open Bible Chapel Foundation, made a generous donation of $100,000 to fund Panda Warmers for the Family Birthing Unit at Surrey Memorial Hospital.
Panda Warmers are an essential piece of equipment for newborn babies, as they are unable to regulate their own body temperatures. Not being able to shiver or warm themselves, babies rely on their body fat for warmth in their early weeks. This can be problematic in their care. A slight change in temperature of one degree from the ideal body temperature can cause a baby to increase its oxygen usage by 10%.
Oftentimes, babies depend on extra help from blankets and articles of clothing to keep themselves warm. However, during medical procedures, blankets and clothing are removed, and cannot be used to warm the baby.
The Panda Warmers are a special piece of equipment designed to help keep babies warm in lieu of alternatives such as or articles of clothing. Panda Warmers are free-standing mobile units that can be moved throughout the nursery. During medical procedures, this is helpful in providing the right amount of heat for the baby as well as additional lighting when needed. A key feature of the Panda Warmers is the innovative hourglass heat profile, which is designed to keep the baby inside warm but its surrounding area cool and comfortable for the medical team working in the room.
Thank you to Open Bible Chapel Foundation for keeping our Family Birthing Unit unstoppable.
