Date Posted: 6/29/2012 8:03:05 AM
Posted By: meg soni Membership Level: Gold Total Points: 2477
Newborn babies catch infections easily because their body defenses are immature.Scrupulous cleanliness is necessary in the nursery,and people who may carry an infection should not handle babies.Some infections are obvious,such as sticky eye or septic spots on the skin.However,a baby who is generally off colour or otherwise unwell could be suffering from an infection. Stool and urine specimens may also be collected and taken to the laboratory to see if an infection is present.If an infection is suspected,the doctor will start antibiotic treatment.There are two main reasons why some babies are very small at birth.They are either born before they are due or they have not grown sufficiently in the womb.Babies born early are called preterm.They do not usually gain weight as first as normal babies.Some small babies are genetically small and their size relates to their parents rather than to pregnancy complications.Such babies are usually healthy.The following are some conditions associated with low birth weight babies:1.Breathing problems.many babies born four weeks or more before they are due may develop difficulty in breathing and this may become severe.Respiratory distress syndrome(RDS) occurs because immature lungs do not remain inflated after the initial expansion with their first breath.As a result,the work of breathing is increased and exhaustion of the respiratory muscles can easily occur.If the RDS is mild,the air in the incubator is enriched with oxygen for the baby to breath.If higher concentrations of oxygen are needed,a special oxygen head is fitted over the baby's head.With severe RDS these measures may not be enough,and the baby is then connected to a ventilator which takes over the work of breathing.While babies with RDS are being given oxygen they need frequent blood tests to ensure that the right amount of oxygen is being given as both too little or too much may be harmful.Some low birth weight babies have episodes known as apnoeic attacks in which they stop breathing.This is due to the respiratory centre in the brain,which controls regular breathing,not being fully operational because of the baby's immaturity.The machines that monitor the baby's respiration have an alarm that sounds if the baby stops breathing,alerting the nurses to the need to start the baby's breathing again.2.Low blood glucose.It is important that level of glucose does not fall too low as it produces the source of energy for all the vital body functions.The body can normally maintain the blood glucose level between meals by releasing glucose from special stores in the liver.Carbohydrate in the diet is converted to glucose in the body and the liver stores are replenished at meal times.In low birth weight babies,particularly in those who are small-for-dates due to poor nutrition from the placenta,the liver stores of glucose are small and may not be enough to maintain the blood glucose.If the level drops too low the baby may have episodes of apnoea or develop convulsions.To prevent this from happening,low birth weight babies are given frequent feeds or glucose drinks shortly after birth,or are given a glucose drip into a vein.Frequent blood tests are done in the first few days.3.Jaundice.Many babies have mild jaundice in the first week of life.Once babies are born they do need as many red blood cells broken down in the body,forming a yellow waste product called bilirubin. This bilirubin in the blood circulation gives the yellow coluring skin and other tissues,which we call jaundice.Excess bilirubin is removed by the liver,but in pre-term infants the liver may not be fully developed.This leads to poor excretion of bilirubin,resulting in more marked jaundice.Severe jaundice may lead to brain damage,so that if a newborn baby is becoming even moderately jaundiced the doctor will order some tests to check the blood level of bilrubin.If it approaches dangerous levels,corrective treatment is started.The baby might need to stay under the watchful eye of the doctor. Phototherapy may be the only treatment necessary to alleviate jaundice.The baby lies naked,with eyes covered,under fluorescent light. If phototherapy is not enough,the doctor may need to do an exchange blood transfusion.If any of the above situations arise and your baby is kept in the hospital,as a parent you should try and see your baby in the special care baby unit as often as possible.He is very small and sick,he may have to be cared for by the doctors and nurses,but parents can still come and touch him and hold his hand.The contact is very important and the baby. Parents are the people the baby needs the most of all and getting to know them starts immediately after birth.
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