Information on Common New Born Baby Illness

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Common New Born Baby Illness

Jaundice is a yellow orange discoloration of skin caused by the buildup of a sub-stance called bilirubin in the bloodstream. Bilirubin is a by-product of thebreakdown of red blood cells, which normally circulate for about four months until they wear out. (New red cells arc constantly produced within the bones in tissue called marrow.) Removing and recycling the contents of red cells require- process bilirubin, which before birth is largely managed through the- circulation. After birth, the newborn's liver takes a few days to gear up for this job, and the level of bilirubin in the bloodstream will increase by a modest amount.. If a significant backlog of bilirubin develops, the baby's skin will take on a yellow orange hue, beginning with the head and gradually spreading towar the legs.

Whether or not jaundice is significant will depend upon several factors, including level of bilirubin, how soon and how fast it has risen, the suspectedji whether the baby was full-term or premature. In some instances, ex- ighlevels can damage the central nervous system, especially immature infant. Therefore, if you notice that your new baby's skin color is to pumpkin orange, or the white area of the eyes is turning yellow and/or is feeding poorly, see your doctor.

If there is any concern, the doctor will order blood tests to check the biliru-nd other studies may be done to look for underlying causes. Normally the jaundice will resolve on its own, although some healthy babies will carry a range tint for weeks. Occasionally a little extra help is needed. This may involve five approaches, as directed by the baby's physician:

• Treat any underlying cause (such as an infection), if possible.

• Increase the baby's fluid intake by feeding him more often.

• Expose the baby to indirect sunlight - that is, undressed down to diapers in a room bright with sunlight that does not directly shine on his sensitive skin. Since indirect sunlight has only a modest effect on clearing bilirubin, don't use this approach unless you are sure that your baby won't become too hot or cold in the room you use.

• In some cases of jaundice, an enzyme found in mother's milk may interfere to a modest degree with the clearing of bilirubin. Ocassionally your health-care provider may ask you to stop breastfeeding briefly and use such formula until the problem improves, after which nursing can resume. In such a case, it is important that you continue to express milk so yyour breasts will continue to produce it and will be ready when your baby is able to resumre breast feeding. This should not be an occasion to stop nursing together.

• A treatment called phototherapy may be utilized if the bilirubin level needs to be treated more actively. Under a physician's direction, the baby wearing protective eyewear, lies under a special intense blue light like a sunbather at the beach. In addition, or as an alternative, a baby can lie on a thin plastic light source called a Bili Blanket.Whether carried out at a hospital or at home (using equipment provided by a home-health agency), phototherapy reduces bilirubin gradually within two or three days, if not sooner.

Colds and other respiratory infections are relatively uncommon in this agte-group. The breathing patterns in a newborn baby, however, may cause you sma.concern. He will at times move air in and out noisily, with snorting and sniffing sounds emanating from his small nasal passages, even when they are completely
Some sneezing now and then isn't uncommon, but watery or thick drainage frt.=one or both nostrils is definitely abnormal. A call to the doctor's office and usysilyan exam are in order when this "goop" appears in a baby under three months.

If your newborn has picked up a cold, you can gently suction the excess 112SLdrainage with a rubber-bulb syringe, since a clogged nose will cause some difficulty breathing while he is feeding. Do not give any decongestant or cold preparations to a baby this young unless given very specific directions—not only what
but exactly how much—from your baby's physician. (In general, experimentaL -idence has suggested that such medications are not terribly effective in bab-k and young children.)

Even when his nose is clear, your baby's breathing rate may be somewhat f---ratic, varying with his activity and excitement level. A typical rate is thirty to forty times per minute, often with brief pauses, sighs, and then a quick
sion of breaths. If he is quiet and consistently breathing fifty or more time, 7minute, however, he may have an infection or another problem with his heart. Flaring of the nostrils, an inward sucking motion of the spaces between -ribs, and exaggerated movement of the abdomen with each breath suggest I.-he may be working harder than usual to breathe. An occasional cough probably doesn't signal a major problem, but frequent or prolonged bouts of coughing-should be investigated, especially if there are any other signs of illness.

Infections of the middle ear (known as otitis media) may complicate ain any baby, including a newborn. There are, however, no specific signs ofimportant problem in a young baby. (At this age, movement of the hands aro-_-the side of the head are random, and your baby cannot deliberately point t:try to touch any area that is bothering him.) Furthermore, an ear infectionbe much more serious in this age-group. If he is acting ill, irritable, runninfever, or all of these, he will need to have his ears checked by his doctor.

Some babies always seem to be overflowing with tears in one eye. This scaused by a narrowing of the duct near the inner corner of each eye, which a:slike a drain for the tears that are produced constantly to keep the eye moist.Aside from causing a nonstop trail of tears down one side of the face, this narrowing. a:: to a local infection, manifested by goopy, discolored drainage, crusting, and if more widespread, a generalized redness of the eye known as conjunctivitis. The crusting and drainage will need to be removed using moist cotton balls, which should be promptly thrown away after being used since they may be contaminated with bacteria. In addition, the baby's health care provider will probably prescribe antibiotic eye drops or ointment fora few days. He or she may also suggest that you gently massage the area between inner corner of the eye and the nose to help displace and move any mucous
at might have formed.

Usually the clogged tear duct will eventually open on its own, but if it continues to be a problem after six months, talk to your baby's doctor, who may re-to an ophthalmologist.

Spitting up breast milk or formula is not uncommon during the first weeks of life, and some babies return a little of their feedings for months, sometimes if they are not promptly burped. As long as he is otherwise doing well—gaining- weight and making developmental progress—this can be considered a temporaryince that will correct itself. However, if a baby in this age-group begins vomiting, with stomach contents returning more forcefully, some prompt medical attention is in order.

If there is also a marked increase in the amount of stool (usually indicating that an Infection in the intestinal tract has developed), the baby will need careful observation for signs of dehydration. These signs include poor feeding, a decrease urine output (manifested by fewer wet diapers), sunken eyes, decreased tears or saliva, persistent fussiness or listlessness, and cool or mottled skin. A baby under tthree months of age with any of these problems should be evaluated

Projectile vomiting is an alarming event in which the stomach's contents fly an impressive distance. A young baby with this problem should be checked promptly. In a few cases forceful vomiting is caused by a thickening muscle in the portion of the small intestine known as the pylorus, just past the stomach, which can-cause trouble after the second week of life. This condition, known as pyloric stenosis, has been traditionally considered a problem of firstborn males, but a baby of either gender or any birth-order position can be affected. In a young baby with forceful vomiting, a combination of an examination with an ultrasound or an X-ray study of the stomach will usually clarify the diagnosis. If pyloric stenosis is present, surgical correction is a must and should be carried out as soon as possible. The surgery is relatively simple, however, and is very well by the vast majority of infants.

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