EL PASO, Texas -- This new cool cap therapy, just recently added at Del Sol Medical Center helps newborns whose brain may be deprived of oxygen or lacking blood.

"Large studies were done in these types of babies demonstrating that this type of therapy could help specifically in the babies with moderate asphyxia,” said Dr. Enrique Ponte of Del Sol Medical Center.

Doctors try to get the cool cap on soon as possible, to start cooling the brain slowly to an accurate temperature in order to stop the cell death or the damage that’s occurring in the brain. The cap must be put on within six hours after the baby is born, but before the newborn goes through this therapy, they must meet certain requirements.

"It has to be more than 36 weeks old, it has to be having symptoms of hypoxic-ischemic-ecephalopathy or HIE with an ap guard of less than 5-10 minutes,” Ponte said.

Now here's how it works, two hoses attached to a monitor fill the cool cap with water, it's then placed on the baby's head which carefully monitors the newborns temperature.

"This therapy, once started, stays on for 72 hours. After that we start re-warming the head slowly over a four-hour period,” said Camille Gerdes, Del Sol NICU director.

For Patricia Moreno, a mother of three girls with baby Mia born three days ago, it's a relief this technology is offered.

"I think it's wonderful. We didn't know about this before and thank God we didn't need it. Were she to need it then I’m glad that it's here and it's important that it is available,” said Moreno.

Studies have shown that patients who go through the cool cap therapy are less likely to suffer from lifetime disabilities such as dyslexia and cerebral palsy.