Neonatal Flashcards
What is the difference between cephalhaematoma and caput succedaneum?
Both are non-concerning injuries causes by birthing trauma
Caput succedaneum is associated with venous delivery and it extends across suture lines. It is self-limiting
Cephalhaematoma is a subperiosteal bleed limited by suture lines and again it is a bruising associated with instrumental delivery
What is an example of a pathological, concerning head trauma associated with birthing injury?
If the birth is particularly traumatic it can cause Intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH)
Bleeding into the ventricles of the brain - as blood pools here it can clot and cause blockage to the drainage of CSF.
This can lead to hydrocephalus
What is the most common nerve palsy associated with traumatic delivery? Describe it and suggest management.
ERB’S PALSY - damage to C5, C6 nerve roots - associated with shoulder dystocia
The arm is flaccid, the forearm is pronated and the wrist flexed - WAITER’S TIP
In 2/3 cases full recovery is seen in 6 weeks
Should consider an X-ray to rule out clavicle feature
If recovery is slow then consider physiotherapy referral
What other nerve palsies can occur with traumatic delivery?
FACIAL NERVE PALSY - following pressure on the face from maternal ischial spines or forcept
FACIAL ASYMMETRY worse on crying
Majority will recovery within a week or 2 but they might need some ophthalmological input
What are some of the most common fractures for baby’s to get during a traumatic delivery and how should they be managed?
CLAVICLE - not uncommon with big babies, they need to be immobilised - have their arm inside their baby grow and usually have healed in a few weeks
AVULSION FRACTURES of the humeral or femoral epiphysis is also not uncommon
SKULL FRACTURES - slight risk with forceps - consider neuro r/v
What is the most common cause of birth asphyxia?
Drop in maternal blood flow during delivery
- Excessive haemorrhage
What sorts of problems might birth asphyxia cause?
Developmental delay
Intellectual delay
Physical problems e.g. spasticity - CEREBRAL PALSY
RISK OF HYPOXIC ISCHAEMIC ENCEPHALOPATHY (HIE)
What are some risk factors for birth asphyxia?
Elderly or young mothers Prolonged rupture of membranes Meconium stained fluid Multiple births Lack of antenatal care Low birth weight Malpresentation Use of oxytocin augmentation in labour APH Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia Anaemia
What causes HIE?
PERI-NATAL ASPHYXIA either due to poor pulmonary gas exchange in the newborn or poor placental perfusion in the mother
This leads to hypo and decreased cardio-respiratory effort causing worsening hypoxia, metabolic acidosis and hypo perfusion and end organ ischaemia in the brain - HIE
What are the affects of HIE and what can we do to counter these?
Neurodisability as well as death in the infant
Immediate (primary) neuronal death from the hypoxic injury or further death of these tissues might occur when due to re-perfusion injury
We can try and protect/delay this secondary injury with THERAPEUTIC COOLING to induce hypothermia
What are some SPECIFIC causes of HIE?
PLACENTA (placental abruption, ruptured uterus)
UMBILICAL BLOOD FLOW (excessive or prolonged uterine contractions, cord compression, cord prolapse, shoulder dystocia
MATERNAL - maternal hypotension or hypertension. This is often associated with intrauterine growth restriction
- Compromised fetus - anaemia, IUGR
- Failure to breath at birth
CAN BE CAUSED BY NEONATAL CONDITION
Inborn error of metabolism
Kernicterus
When and how will we know HIE has occurred (features)?
MILD: the infant is irritable, responds excessively to stimulation, staring of the eyes and hyperventilation and impaired feeding
MODERATE: the infant shows marked abnormalities of tone and movement, cannot feed and may have seizures
SEVERE: no normal spontaneous movements or responses to pain. Tone in the limbs may fluctuate between hypertonia and hypotonia, seizures prolonged and not responsive to treatment, multi-organ failure
How should we manage HIE?
Resuscitation and stabilisation
Respiratory support
EEG monitoring - helps to identify seizures early and also spot encephalopathy
Treat seizures
Fluid restriction because of renal impairment
What is the prognosis for babies with HIE?
Complete recovery can be expected if babies have MILD HIE
In some moderate cases there will be partial recovery in the first 2 weeks (although there is not likely to be any recovery after this time)
PERFORM MRI at day 4 and day 14 - if significant abnormalities exist bilaterally in the basal ganglia, thalamus and internal capsule (lack of myelin) then this is a strong predator of CEREBRAL PALSY
When should APGAR scoring be done?
1, 5 and 10 minutes
What are the categories in APGAR scoring and how are they scored?
Activity/Muscle tone (none=0, flexed arms and legs=1, active =2)
Pulse (absent=0, <100bpm=1, >100bpm=2)
Grimace/Reflex irritability to stimuli (No response=0, Minimal response=1, prompt response=2)
Appearance/Colour (Blue/pale=0, Pink centrally but with slightly blue peripheries =1, pink all over =2)
Respiration (none=0, infrequent and irregular =1, normal (vigourous cry)=2)
What is a normal APGAR score?
An ideally healthy baby should score 10, however scores of 9 and sometimes 8 are normal
Very often even health babies have slightly blue extremities, this loses them a point on appearance but is not often a cause for concern.
In which babies, and when, does necrotising entircolitis (NEC) usually occur?
In premature babies and it will often develop in the first few weeks of life
What are some features of NEC?
Stopping tolerating feeds Aspiration Vomit +/- bile stained Abdominal distension Fresh blood in the stool SHOCKED - due to distension and pain
How should we investigate NEC?
AXR
- Will see distended loops of bowel
- Thickening of the bowel wall due to intra-mural gas
- Gas in the portal tract
How should we treat NEC?
Stop oral feeding TPN Broad spectrum abx Ventilatory support Cardiovascular support Danger of BOWEL PERF - refer to surgery
What can be offered antenatally to help prevent NEC?
Erythromycin
What is the prognosis in infants with NEC? Long-term complications?
Mortality rate is about 20%
LONG TERM SEQUELAE: Strictures, malabsorption, short bowel syndrome as consequence of surgery
What is the first thing you should do when resuscitating a newborn?
DRY THE BABY
Then assess breathing, heart rate and tone
After drying it what is the next stage in neonatal resuscitation?
Optimise airway (face parallel to surface, ADMINISTER 5 RESCUE BREATHS Repeat this, improving manoeuvres and considering intubation until the chest is seen to rise
Spontaneous ventilation has recovered what is the next stage in neonatal resuscitation?
Assess for heart beat and if there is none, or it is low (<60bpm) begin chest compression with compression:breath ratio of 3:1
Re-assess for heart beat every 30 seconds until heart rate is >60bpm
What would you expect of the saturations of a neonate?
THEY ARE VERY OFTEN VERY LOW and this is not always concerning - check them to see whether they recover
Neonates also very often have something called TRANSIENT TACHYPNOEA OF THE NEWBORN (TTN) where grunting or occasional nasal flaring might occur
- monitor reps rate and sats and respond accordingly
What % of babies are jaundiced and is this always concerning?
60% babies jaundiced - very often this is physiological
Should you be concerned about jaundice in the first 24h of life??
YES - jaundice in the first 24h of life is ALWAYS PATHOLOGICAL
Describe why physiological jaundice occurs?
When babies are born they have an excess of red blood cells from the mother - this excess leads to high levels of break down meaning the levels of Bilirubin are higher than the immature liver is able to conjugate (low enzyme levels)
**remember unconjugated bili is not soluble so you can’t excrete it
When will physiological jaundice occur?
It will present in the first 2-3 days of life
When will physiological jaundice occur and do we need to intervene?
Recover at 2 weeks as the liver matures
We don’t need to recover as it is usually self-limiting but can take bilirubin levels to see whether it reaches the threshold for treatment
particularly common in breast-fed babies (might be slightly dehydrated)
What are some causes of early jaundice?
Sepsis, ABO incompatibility and Rh disease
SHOULD INVESTIGATE FOR ALL OF THESE
When do we deem it prolonged jaundice?
Once it has lasted for longer than 2 weeks or longer than 3 weeks in a pre-term baby
What are some causes of prolonged jaundice?
Biliary atresia
Breast-milk jaundice (should investigate for liver disease extensively before just calling it this)
G6PD