Italian scientists have created a mini kidney dialysis system to help treat infants, and have been able to safely treat a newborn suffering from multiple organ failure.

In 2013, a newborn weighing just 2.9kg became the first person in the world to be treated with this newly developed machine, following multiple organ failure as a result of a complicated birth. Physicians were able to discontinue support after 20 days of treatment using this new dialysis machine.

Lead author Professor Claudio Ronco from San Bortolo Hospital in Vicenza, Italy, and colleagues developed “CARPEDIEM” (Cardio-Renal Pediatric Dialysis Emergency Machine), a continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) machine that was created because current dialysis machines are designed for adults. These existing machines must be specifically adapted to be used on newborns and small babies.

The problem with modifying current dialysis machines is that it makes them more likely to be inaccurate when treating infants under 15kg, and can even result in complications with fluid management. These potential errors in ultrafiltration volumes can lead to too much fluid withdrawn, which can cause dehydration, or too little fluid withdrawn, which can cause high blood pressure.

To counter these problems, Ronco and his colleagues created a mini dialysis machine specifically for infants weighing between 2kg to 10kg, with the capacity to handle very low flows of blood and ultrafiltration.

“We have shown how the technical challenges of providing CRRT can be overcome without relying on the adaptation of technology used in adult settings, and that a CRRT device designed specifically for use in neonates and small children can be used to safely and effectively treat acute kidney injury in small pediatric patients,” Ronco said in a statement.

The study’s findings are published in The Lancet.