SAN DIEGO -- A procedure being done at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital is giving new hope to babies deprived of oxygen during difficult births.

The procedure involves cooling the baby’s temperature to a hypothermic state in order to reduce the chances of brain damage.

The birth of a child is a joyous occasion, but for the parents of Riley Coulter it was a time of anguish.

"She had no heart rate, she was not breathing and they determined she had lost 80 percent of her blood volume," said Riley’s mother, Stacy Coulter. “We had no idea exactly what was going on"

The Coulter’s newborn daughter was lifeless at birth because the umbilical cord had become detached during labor.

Sharp Mary Birch Neonatologist Dr. David Kaegi said, "She came out without any breathing, any heart rate and required aggressive resuscitation"

A team of doctors and nurses saved Riley, but were worried about possible brain damage because she was deprived of oxygen.

"There are certain babies who at birth may be at risk of some brain damage," added Kaegi.

For the next 72 hours, Riley lay on the ultimate security blanket -- a cooling blanket that kept her tiny body at 92 degrees Fahrenheit.

"By cooling the brain down dramatically, you are hoping to reduce the metabolism, the process that leads to cell death," said Kaegi.

Stacy Coulter said, “She was definitely shivering. You would just watch her and every 30 seconds her whole body would just shiver."

Cooling provides a window of opportunity to protect the brain and improve outcomes for oxygen-deprived newborns.

It looks like a hospital blanket, but it's a soft blanket that haswater running through it to cool the temperature down.

After three days, Riley was gradually re-warmed to her normal body temperature.

"Once they warmed her up, they handed her to me and it was just like when my first baby was born. They hand her to you right away and it was that same feeling," said Coulter.

Two months later, little Riley is healthy, happy and she's growing normally. Doctors said she's a modern day miracle.

Riley’s first hours of life may not have been cozy and warm, but they certainly were life saving.

Kaegi said, "Riley has a very good chance of having a full recovery and not having any long term problems."

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed oxygen-deprived babies who were cooled within six hours of their birth were more likely to survive and less likely to suffer severe disabilities than those who received conventional treatment.

The cooling blanket treatment is now the standard treatment for any baby who stops breathing at birth.