In an attempt to prevent brain injury, in Bristol a newborn baby has become the first in the world to receive xenon gas treatment.

The baby, Riley Joyce, when was born had no pulse and was not breathing at the Royal United Hospital, Bath, where he was delivered.

Joyce was transferred to St Michael's Hospital, Bristol, as there were 50 per cent chances of a permanent brain injury.

Marianne Thoreson, professor of neonatal neuroscience at the University of Bristol, and Dr John Dingley, consultant anaesthetist at Swansea University's School of Medicine developed the xenon technique.

Professor Thoreson said, "After seven days, Riley was alert, able to look at his mother's face, hold up his head and begin to take milk."

New treatments were pioneered at the hospital by the professor since 1998 when for reducing damage she began cooling babies.

She said, "Over the past eight years, we have shown in the laboratory that xenon doubles the protective effect of cooling on the brain. However we faced the challenge of how to safely and effectively deliver this rare and extremely expensive gas to newborn babies."

Over the coming months in a feasibility trial, the device is now authorized for clinical trials and will be used on a minimum of 12 babies before implementing it on a larger scale.