The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday gave its approval for the first magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device that can be specifically used for imaging the brains of newborn babies.

The MRI device in question will be used for imaging of the brains of neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care units (NICU) whenever doctors will feel the need of their use.

Doctor Vasum Peiris, CMO of pediatrics & special populations at the federal agency’s Center for Devices & Radiological Health, said that the approved device would enable safer imaging for the vulnerable population of neonatal patients.

Speaking on the topic, Peiris said, “Although we can use traditional MRI scanners to image neonates, taking babies outside of the neonatal intensive care unit to MRI suites presents great challenges. Having a system in the neonatal intensive care unit enables safer imaging for this vulnerable patient population.”

MRI is a form of radiological imaging technique in which strong magnetic fields are used to produce the images of the brain’s inner structures. It can help detect several life threatening conditions.