Neonatal Care Flashcards
how often should babies suckle from mother?
every 2-3hrs for first 5 days
Whats a Whelping box?
Dedicated areas for birth and for rearing neonates
Normal Development
They will spend 80% time sleeping for the first few weeks
3 weeks- they can stand
4 weeks- move around
What is theory behind swinging?
- Aspirating stomach contents
- Pneumonia
- Cerebral haemorrhage
Immunologically incompetent
immune system are not fully formed
Neonatal Killers
-Compromised thermoregulation
-Compromised ability to manage blood glucose levels
-Limited surfactant - make it difficult for alveoli to expand
Congenital
Condition or abnormaility at birth
Hereditary
passing, or capable of passing, naturally from parent to offspring through the genes
Hypoxia
Low levels of oxygen in body tissues
Hypoglycaemia
Low blood sugar levels
Colostrum
Provides nutrients that supoorts babies immune and digestive system
Mentation
the ability, activity, or result of using your mind to think
Septicaemia
blood poisoning
What are common causes of death in neonates?
Hypoglycaemia
Hyperthermia
Hypoxia
Dehydration
Infection
Normal neonate bpm
200-250
Normal neonate rpm
10-30
Asystole (absence heartbeat)
If bracycardic or asystole, cardiac compression indicated at 200bpm
Apnoea (not breathing)
Jen Chung acupuncture point can be used to stimulate respiration
Adrenaline (epinephrine)
Stimulates heart rate and increases stroke volume
Given intravenously
Doxapram
Stimulates spontaneous respiration
Hand rearing
Indicated if mother not producing enough milk, has mastitis or rejects litter
Puppies specific milk formula
60kcal/500g bodyweight/day
Kitten specific milk formula
200kcal/500g bodyweight/day
Weaning
From 3 weeks old
Milk with a litter puppy/kitten food
Increase food and decrease milk gradually
When should puppies/kittens be wormed
first at 2 weeks of age, then every month till 6 month of age
Whats fading puppy syndrome
A healthy neonate rapidly declines and fades away till death
How to assess for hypoxia?
Shortness of breath
Difficulty/ rapid breathing
Gagging or gasping
Pale MMo
How to assess for dehydration
Urine appearance
Diarrhoea - lead to dehydration
PCV
How to assess for hypo
‘Pin prick’ for glucometer
Hypothermia
Mentation
