Triplets Born in Dubai Eight Weeks Early Discharged After One Month in Intensive Care

More than 700 events are planned to take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of the first National Early Childhood Week. This new initiative will allow children to participate in various activities with a parent or guardian.

The Minister of Family, Sana bint Mohammed Suhail, announced that 130 organizations will participate in the program. These institutions will offer children opportunities for learning and play across all seven emirates.

This week will take place from November 16 to 22, 2026, and is part of the programs being implemented as part of the UAE Family Year.

In the environment of an air ambulance, there is very little room for error. A baby requiring intensive care needs to be moved between hospital beds, ground ambulances, and airplanes while maintaining medical support that ensures their stability. During flight, there is a risk of tracheal tube displacement, rapid drop in body temperature, or deterioration of the patient's condition before the journey is complete.

For specialized evacuation teams, the task is to make the transportation process itself an extension of the intensive care unit, where doctors and equipment are ready to respond promptly to any possible deterioration in the patient's condition.

Dr. John Barrett, a consultant in emergency and pre-hospital emergency medicine, and head of the Pre-Hospital Emergency Services group at Burjeel Holdings, emphasized that 'the level of medical care should not decrease just because the patient is in motion.'

Such transfers may be necessary if the hospital lacks necessary specialized services, including pediatric or neonatal intensive care, pediatric cardiac surgery, neonatal surgery, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which temporarily supports heart and lung function. Furthermore, some patients require travel abroad for highly specialized treatment or return home after treatment elsewhere.

The reasons for such transfers are varied: from extreme prematurity and congenital heart defects to infants requiring cooling after birth asphyxia, surgical emergencies, severe respiratory failure, sepsis, and serious injuries in older children.

Transporting a critically ill child involves risks that go beyond the distance traveled. Infants have limited physiological reserves and can quickly lose heat, oxygen, and blood sugar levels. Their small airways also make breathing tubes vulnerable to displacement when moving between a hospital bed, a ground ambulance, and an airplane.

Even in a sealed cabin, oxygen availability decreases, and trapped gas can expand. This can be significant for patients with pneumothorax or bowel distension. Noise, vibration, and limited space create additional difficulties, especially for premature infants.

Therefore, the medical team must anticipate possible complications even before the trip begins and possess the necessary experience and equipment to treat them en route. Depending on the patient's condition, this may include advanced ventilation, high-frequency oscillation for respiratory support, inhaled nitric oxide, medications to maintain blood pressure, active cooling, invasive monitoring, and emergency airway management.

Barrett noted: 'Deterioration can happen during transport, so the team must be able to treat it, not just observe it.'

For some patients who cannot maintain adequate oxygen levels despite intensive treatment, standard support may not be enough. In certain cases, specialized teams may initiate ECMO procedures at the sending hospital and transport the patient while the circuit supports heart and lung function. The decision depends on the patient's condition, their suitability for treatment, and the availability of a receiving center equipped to continue care.

Barrett added that 'the possibility of using ECMO also depends on the entire system of surgeons, perfusionists, and the receiving unit, not just the aircraft.'

The need for specialized transport is illustrated by a case handled by ICATT Response Plus. It involved a young boy with congenital laryngeal atresia—a rare airway disorder—and a history of multiple upper airway surgeries. According to the company, the team transported the child from the UAE to Europe for specialized care.

Satish Munoli, CEO of ICATT Response Plus, stated: 'The boy had a complex medical history and required specialized care, which led to the transfer from the UAE to Europe.'

ICATT Response Plus, a joint venture between ICATT Air Ambulance and RPM, launched its neonatal and pediatric transport service in the UAE in March. The company reported placing a specialized team and equipment in the country to support the transport of critically ill infants and children. Although its broader operations in India include neonatal transport and ECMO experience, the UAE service is designed to provide specialized medical support to patients who need to be moved between hospitals both locally and internationally.

Transporting a newborn presents an additional challenge: ensuring the child's safety and maintaining a proper environment when changing vehicles or aircraft.

One of the devices presented by ICATT Response Plus is the BabyPod 2—a lightweight neonatal transport module designed for infants weighing from 2 to 8 kg. Weighing about 9.2 kg, it is designed to be secured in airplanes, helicopters, and ground ambulances. This module helps simplify transitions between vehicles and reduces the need for multiple handling of the infant. According to the manufacturer, it is X-ray transparent and compatible with CT scans but not with MRI. ICATT Response Plus reported that this device has not yet been used in a neonatal transfer within the UAE.

Barrett explained that this module is not a complete replacement for a traditional transport incubator. Incubators offer important advantages, such as a heated and often humidified environment for premature infants, as well as the ability to integrate equipment like ventilators, monitoring systems, and suction. When using the module, some of this equipment may require separate transport and securing. He also noted that data on the results of using neonatal modules are still emerging.

Ultimately, the equipment and medical team must meet the patient's needs. The goal is not just to get a critically ill child to another hospital, but to ensure that the necessary care to maintain the child's stability continues throughout the journey.