Common Post-Natal Problems Flashcards
What types of problems are common post-nataly?
- Skin
- Jaundice
- Hypoglycaemia
- Hypothermia
- Feeding
- GI
- Respiratory
- Cardiovascular
- ENT
- Ophthalmology
- Genito-urinary
- Neurology
- Orthopaedic
- Genetics
What are the 3 components of the energy triangle?
- Pink (hypoxia)
- Warm (hypothermia)
- Sweet (hypoglycaemia)
What 3 things can affect a neonate’s skin?
- Colour
- Rashes
- Birthmarks
Give examples of why a baby’s skin may change colour.
- Jaundice
- Pallor
- Plethora
- Cyanosis
Give examples of types of rashes that occur in neonates.
- Benign
- Milia
- Milaria
- Eryhtema toxicum neonatorim
- Infections
- Sebaceous naevus
Give examples of birthmarks that can present in neonates.
- Capillary haemangiomas
- Mongolian blue spots
- Port wine stains
- Stork marks
- Giant melanocytic naevi
- Café au lait spots
Who does physiological jaundice occur in?
Most new-borns especially pre-terms
Why does physiological jaundice occur?
A combination of increased red cell breakdown and immaturity of the hepatic enzymes causes unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia.
What can exacerbate physiological jaundice?
It is exacerbated by dehydration, which can occur if establishment of feeding is delayed.
What does jaundice within 24 hours of life suggest?
Always pathological
Why is it important to recognise and treat neonatal unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia?
Recognition and treatment of severe neonatal unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia is important to avoid bilirubin encephalopathy or kernicterus (brain damage due to deposition of bilirubin in the basal ganglia).
Why is it important to evaluate conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia early?
Early evaluation of conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia (>20 mmol/L) is important to allow early (<6weeks) diagnosis and treatment of biliary atresia.
Why can jaundice occur in the first 24 hours of life?
- Haemolytic (G6PD or spherocytosis)
- TORCH (congenital infection)
Why may jaundice occur between the 2nd day and 3rd week of life?
- Physiological (goes after 1st week)
- Breast milk
- Sepsis
- Polycythaemia
- Cephalohematoma
- Crigler-Najjar syndrome
- Haemolytic disorders
Why may jaundice occur after the 3rd week of life?
- Breast milk
- Hypothyroidism
- Pyloric stenosis
- Cholestasis
How is jaundice treated?
-Treat the underlying cause
-Hydrate
-Phototherapy (NICE guideline charts)
-Exchange transfusion
Immunoglobulin
What babies are at risk of hypoglycaemi?
Limited glucose supply
- Premature babies
- Perinatal stress
Hyperinsulinism
-Infants of diabetic mothers
Increased glucose utilisation
- Small and large for gestational age
- Hypothermia
- Sepsis
What are the symptoms of neonatal hypoglycaemia?
- Jitteriness
- Hypothermia
- Temperature instability
- Lethargy
- Hypotonia
- Apnoea, irregular respirations
- Poor suck/feeding
- Vomiting
- High pitched or weak cry
- Seizures
- Asymptomatic
What is hypoglycaemia defined as?
Blood sugars <2.6mmol/l
How do we test neonates blood sugars?
- Bedside testing (can be inaccurate if high, low, poor perfusion, polycythaemia)
- Lab sample for testing
How can babies lose heat?
- Evaporation
- Conduction
- Convection
- Radiation
What is radiation heat loss?
Loss of heat from the body surface to a cooled surface that is not in direct contact, but in close proximity to the body (cold objects near to baby)
What is convection heat loss?
Loss of heat from body surface to cooler air
What is conduction heat loss?
Loss of heat from the body surface to cooler surface in direct contact
What is evaporation heat loss?
Loss of heat when liquid is converted to vapour
How are babies resuscitated in response to cold stress?
- Dry quickly
- Use warm towels/blankets
- Provide radiant warmer heat
- Use heated/humidified oxygen
What are tongue ties?
- Short thickened frenulum’s that are attached anteriorly to the base of the tongue
- They restrict tongue protrusion beyond the alveolar margins or heavy grooving of tip of tongue and/or feeding is affected