Brazilian hospitals launch pioneering neonatal brain monitoring and pediatric ECMO programs

The Hospital Regional do Sudoeste Dr. Walter Alberto Pécoits in Francisco Beltrão, Paraná, became the first hospital in the state to deploy the PBSF neonatal brain‑monitoring system. The technology continuously records newborns’ brain activity with artificial‑intelligence analysis and tele‑medicine support, enabling early detection of seizures and faster clinical decisions. Over 20,000 infants have been monitored with the system in more than 70 Brazilian hospitals.

In São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, the Hospital da Criança e Maternidade performed its first surgery using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), an artificial heart‑lung device. Eleven‑year‑old Arthur Henrique Morais, injured in a poly‑trauma, underwent a complex tracheal reconstruction while ECMO allowed his lungs to rest. The service, funded in part by private donations, is the only pediatric ECMO program in the region and expands high‑complexity care beyond the capital.