Neonatal Flashcards
What is Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy (HIE)?
Clinical manifestation of brain injury 48hrs after hypoxic event. Occurs if perinatal asphyxia has occurred (> cardiorespiratory depression)
What is the difference between HIE and CP?
HIE = neonatal condition
Cerebral palsy = post-neonatal condition (i.e. severe HIE that is not tx)
What are the causes of HIE?
- Placental abruption
- Shoulder dystocia > cord compression
- Maternal hypotension
- Compromised foetus (i.e. IUGR)
- Failure to breath at birth
- Hypotension > maternal haemorrhage (placental abruption, placental praevia)
- Hypertension > fulminant pregnancy-induced HTN
- Obstructed labour > malpresentation, cephalopelvic disproportion, multiple births, postmature neonates
Infants at risk > preterm, infants with CHD
What are the S/S of HIE?
Response within first 48hrs grades the HIE level
Mild
- Infant irritable, responds excessively to stimulation, staring eyes, hyperventilation, hypertonia
- Complete recovery expected
Moderate
- Abnormalities of movement, hypotonic, cannot feed, has seizures
- If fully resolved by 2wks of age > good long-term prognosis
- If persistent past 2wks > bad prognosis
Severe
- No normal movements or response to pain, tone in limbs fluctuates hypo- to hypertonic, seizures prolonged and refractory to tx, multi-organ failure may be present
- 30-40% mortality
- Over 80% have neurodisability (if not cooled) > cerebral palsy
What is the management of HIE?
Therapeutic hypothermia
- > 36wks, mild hypothermia can reduce morbidity from HIE
- Requires NICU
Supportive
- Resp support
- Anticonvulsants
- Fluid restriction (transient renal impairment)
- Inotropes (tx of hypotension)
- Electrolytes and glucose (tx hypoglycaemia and electrolyte imbalances)
What is Cerebral Palsy?
A disorder of movement and posture due to a non-progressive lesion of the motor pathways in the developing brain.
If brain injury occurs after 2yrs > diagnosed as acquired brain injury (not CP)
What are the causes of cerebral palsy?
Antenatal (80%)
- Congenital infection e.g. rubella, toxoplasmosis, CMV
- Cerebral dysgenesis/malformation
Perinatal (10%)
- HIE, birth trauma/asphyxia
Postnatal (10%)
- Intraventricular haemorrhage, meningitis, head-trauma, NAI
What are the RFs for cerebral palsy?
Antenatal
- Preterm birth, chorioamnionitis, maternal infection
Perinatal
- LBW, HIE, neonatal sepsis
Postnatal
- Meningitis
What are the S/S of cerebral palsy?
- Delayed milestones +/- persistent primitive reflexes
- NON-PROGRESSIVE condition so NO LOSS of previously attained milestones
- Abnormal posture / tone / gait
- Feeding difficulties > slow, gagging, vomit
- Associated non-motor problems e.g. learning difficulties, epilepsy, squints, hearing impairment
What is the classification of cerebral palsy?
Spastic (70%) > MUSCLES STIFF/TIGHT
- Damage to UMNs
- Increased tone, brisk reflexes, extensor plantar/Babinski’s, ‘clasp knife’ rigidity
- Scissor gait
Subtypes:
- Hemiplegia > unilateral arm and leg, face spared
- Diplegia > legs affected to greater degree, but all 4 limbs affected
- Quadriplegia > all 4 limbs, often severe
Dyskinetic (10%) > INVOLUNTARY MOVEMENTS
- Damage to basal ganglia and substantia nigra
- Athetosis (slow, involuntary, convoluted, writhing movements of the fingers, hands, toes, and feet) / dystonia
- Random, slow, uncontrolled movements
- Repetitive and patterned movements
- Oro-motor problems e.g. drooling
- Difficulty holding onto objects due to fluctuating muscle tone
Ataxic (10%) > SHAKY / UNBALANCED
- Damage to cerebellum
- Hypotonia, ataxia of trunk and limbs, postural imbalance, intention tremor / shaky movements
- Clumsiness / instability
Mixed (10%)
What are the investigations for cerebral palsy?
1st to order:
- MRI brain
Also consider:
- Assessment of hearing and vision
- EEG if seizure prone
- Bloods > FBCs, U&Es, TFTs, coagulation screen
- Metabolic screen > IEM
- XR > if severe deformity
- Gait analysis
What is the management of cerebral palsy?
»MDT orientated
1st line:
- PT > encourage movement, improve strength and stop muscles from losing range of motion
- SALT > improve language abilities
- OT > identify everyday tasks that may be difficult and help make these tasks more accessible
- Consider adaptive equipment
Medical:
- Oral diazepam (good for transient use for acute spasms) / baclofen
- Botulinum toxin type A injections (for spasticity)
What is necrotising enterocolitis (NEC)?
Acquired inflammatory disease affecting the gut of newborns
What is the incidence of NEC?
- Most common surgical emergency in newborns
- One of the leading causes of death in prem infants
What are the RFs for NEC?
- Premature
- LBW
- PDA
- Perinatal stress
What are the S/S of NEC?
Onset often after initiating feeds
Early signs:
- Feeding intolerance
- Bilious vomiting
- Abdominal distension
- Bloody stools
Can quickly progress to:
- Abdominal discolouration
- Perforation
- Peritonitis
- Shock
What are the investigations for NEC?
Abdominal XR:
- Pneumatosis intestinalis (intramural gas)
- Dilated bowel loops
- Portal venous gas
- Bowel wall oedema
- Pneumoperitoneum resulting from perforation
- Air both inside and outside of the bowel wall > Rigler sign
- Air outlining the falciform ligament > football sign
Bloods + culture:
- Depends on stage
- Hb low, platelets low, high WCC, metabolic acidosis, electrolyte derangement, coagulopathy
What is the management of NEC?
Conservative:
- NBM + NGT decompression
- IV broad spec abx > cefotaxime/tazocin and vancomycin
- Blood and platelet transfusions
- Electrolyte imbalances correction
Surgical (if bowel perforation / necrosis):
- Resection of necrotic bowel with formation of a stoma and mucous fistula / primary anastomosis
- Extensive disease may be left as balance of resection vs short gut syndrome
- Consequences > strictures, malabsorption
What is neonatal jaundice?
Excess amount of bilirubin in the neonatal circulation causing a yellow discolouration of the skin and sclera
How common is neonatal jaundice?
Over 50% of newborns become visibly jaundiced
What are the RFs for neonatal jaundice?
- Previous affected sibling
- Prematurity
- Breastfeeding
What are the causes of neonatal jaundice?
Physiological unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia
(functional immaturity)
- Instability of foetal Hb (increased RBC volume but decreased survival)
- Defective BR metabolism / excretion in first few days of life
> > Peaks at 5d, resolves by 1-2w
Breast milk jaundice
- Only >24hrs
> > Peaks in week 2, resolves very slowly (3m)
Unconjugated haemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia
- ABO or Rh incompatibility (immune-related)
- Hereditary spherocytosis, G6PDD (defect)
- Congenital infection, bacterial sepsis (acquired)
Unconjugated non-haemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia
- Haemorrhage, polycythaemia
- Galactosaemia, hypothyroidism
Conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia
- Biliary atresia, choledochal cyst (bile duct obstruction)
- Neonatal hepatitis (congenital infection, CF, alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency)
What does the age of onset tell you about neonatal jaundice?
<24hrs = always pathological (ABO/Rh incompatibility, G6PDD, HS)
>24hrs = probably physiological (but beware sepsis and galactosaemia)
>2wks = perform prolonged jaundice screen (biliary atresia, hypothyroidism, galactosaemia, UTI, congenital infection)
What are the S/S of neonatal jaundice?
- May be asx in physiological jaundice
- Visible jaundice seen at 80umol/L
- cBR > dark urine, pale stools
What are the S/S of kernicterus?
- Lethargy, irritability
- Poor feeding
- Increased muscle tone (arched back)
- Seizures
- Coma
> > May develop into CP (dyskinetic), learning difficulties, sensorineural deafness
What is kernicterus?
uBR deposits in basal ganglia
- Form of encephalopathy
- Causes spectrum from severe damage to death
What are the investigations for neonatal jaundice?
Early jaundice (<24hrs)
- Direct (total) serum BR
- FBC/blood film (HS), maternal and infant ABO/Rh, DAT, infection screen (blood culture, TORCH screen), G6PD levels
Jaundice >24hrs
- Transcutaneous BR
- If normal Hx and examination > monitor only
Persistent jaundice (>2wks)
- Direct and indirect serum BR
- Conjugated fraction should be obtained
- TFTs, LFTs, U&Es, DAT, G6PD levels, MC&S of blood/urine/CSF
Conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia
- Requires urgent investigation > USS billary tree +/- liver biopsy isotope scanning HIDA/DISIDA and referral to a paediatric liver centre
What is the management of neonatal jaundice?
Sometimes no treatment necessary (cBR does NOT cause harm > although cause of cBR can be bad)
(1) Phototherapy > breaks down uBR so it can be excreted in urine
- Neonate under series of lights on radiant warmer bed (eye protection, short breaks for breastfeeding, monitor temp)
- Repeat BR measurements every 4-6hrs (until drops 50 below threshold for tx)
- Use single PT unless SBR rising rapidly (>1 box per hour), SBR within 5 boxes of exchange transfusion threshold, SBR fails to respond to single PT
- +/- IVIG (used in Rh / ABO incompatibility)
(2) Exchange transfusion + PT +/- IVIG
- If signs of kernicterus, if intensive PT fails to lower BR, or in conjunction with PT with extremely elevated BR levels
- Give folic acid after (prevent anaemia)
What is transient tachypnoea of the newborn (TTN)?
Acute, self-limiting tachypnoea in the absence of other causes
Commonest cause of respiratory distress in term infants
What causes TTN?
Delayed resorption of lung fluid
What are the RFs for TTN?
C-section
Maternal asthma
What are the S/S of TTN?
Usually occurs in first 1-3hrs following uneventful normal preterm, term vaginal or elective C-section delivery
- Early onset tachypnoea (RR>60)
- +/- signs of respiratory distress
- Cyanosis in severe cases
- O/E = crackles, diminished breath sounds
What are the investigations for TTN?
CXR:
- Fluid in horizontal fissure
- Hyperinflation of the lungs
- Flat diaphragms
- Occasional pleural fluid
ABG:
- Degree of decreased pO2 > depends on amount of fluid on the lungs
Blood cultures:
- Exclude infectious cause
What is the management of TTN?
· Observation
· Supportive care
· Additional O2 if required
> > Usually settles within 1-2d
What is the F pneumonic for TTN?
Full-term neonate
First day of life
Fissures Filled with Fluid
DiFFuse crackles
What is persistent pulmonary HTN?
The failure of the normal circulatory transition that occurs after birth
Persistent raised pulmonary vascular resistance > R-L shunting of blood away from the lungs > life-threatening
What are the causes of persistent pulmonary HTN?
Primary = idiopathic
Secondary = birth asphyxia, meconium aspiration, septicaemia, RDS, diaphragmatic hernia, congenital pneumonia
What is persistent pulmonary HTN associated with?
· IUGR
· Foetal distress
· Down Syndrome
What are the S/S of persistent pulmonary HTN?
- Signs of respiratory distress
- Signs of cardiogenic shock (lethargy, hypotension, oliguria)
- Absent heart murmurs and signs of HF
> > Should be suspected in all infants when hypoxaemia is out of proportion to the severity of parenchymal lung disease on CXR
What are the investigations for persistent pulmonary HTN?
CXR
- Some pulmonary oligaemia (reduction in pulmonary volume)
Bloods
- Hb, WCC, glucose, clotting screen
Echo
- Urgent to ensure no cardiac defect
What is the management of persistent pulmonary HTN?
Antenatal > at-risk infants should be identified
- Correct any predisposing conditions (hypoglucaemia, polycythaemia)
Postnatal
- Most infants require mechanical ventilation and circulatory support
- Inhaled nitric oxide (potent vasodilator)
- Prostaglandins (keep DA patent)
- Sildenafil (viagra) has also been introduced recently
- High-frequency (oscillatory) ventilation may be useful
- For severe but reversible cases, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) (where the infant is placed on heart and lung bypass for several days) may be used
What is the prognosis of persistent pulmonary HTN?
Mortality <10%
25% likely to have some impairment such as learning difficulties / deafness
What is chronic lung disease of prematurity / bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)?
Oxygen still required at corrected age of term with characteristic radiological changes (bronchopulmonary dysplasia)
What are the causes of CLD/BPD?
- Premature
- Mechanical ventilation
- Oxygen therapy - prolonged exposure to high concentrations
- Inflammation and infection - pneumonia, sepsis, RDS
- Maternal factors - smoking, infection
What are the RFs for CLD/BPD?
- Premature
- LBW
What are the S/S of CLD/BPD?
Signs of respiratory distress, poor feeding, poor weight gain
What are the investigations for CLD/BPD?
CXR
- Widespread opacification - atelectasis
- Hyperinflation and cystic changes
- Ground glass appearance
ABG / VBG / CBG
- Compensated respiratory acidosis reflecting chronic high pCO2
- Hypercapnia
- Hypoxia
What is the management of CLD/BPD?
Respiratory support
- Prolonged artificial ventilation
- Wean to CPAP
- Wean to additional O2
+/- corticosteroid therapy
- Dexamethasone for short term clinical improvement
Prevention
- If baby does not need intubation or ventilation, it is important to minimise ventilation-associated lung injury using strict monitoring and maintaining of tidal volume
Long-term
- Home O2 supported by community children’s nurses
What is respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)?
Respiratory compromise in a neonate secondary to surfactant deficiency
Surfactant deficiency > lungs more likely to collpase
What are the RFs for RDS?
- PREMATURITY
- Maternal diabetes
- Male
- C-section
- 2nd born premature twin
- FHx
How does the risk of RDS change with gestation?
Risk decreases with gestation
- Common if born <24w
- 50% born 26-28w
- 25% born 30-39w