Perinatal medicine Flashcards

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1
Q

what are the possible causes of jaundice soon after birth?

A

ABO/rhesus incompatibility
Infection
G6PD deficiency
spherocytosis

–> all of these cause haemolysis

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2
Q

a newborn has meconium ileus. what do you want to screen for?

A

cystic fibrosis

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3
Q

what are some features on examination/observation that may indicate that a preterm baby’s true gestational age?

A

Feet- less creases on the soles, may be entirely smooth if very preterm

Ears- look at the level of development of the pinna in preterm babies

Genitalia- clitoris more prominent in female preterm babies with smaller labia majora, absent rugae in scrotum and undescended testes

Skin- darker skin generally than term babies

Neuro: overall less tone- more floppy, extended position rather than flexed

Behaviour: weaker cry, poor suckling reflex (only really develops around 34 weeks)

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4
Q

what does the agpar score refer to? what are its components?

A

evaluates the CNS status and general adaptation of the newborn to the extrauterine environment

looks at HR, RR, colour, reflex irritability, muscle tone 1 minute and 5 minutes post delivery

give each a score from 0-2 for each parameter
0 being most abnormal, 2 being normal so i.e. full marks= normal baby

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5
Q

how might we elicit reflex irritability in a newborn?

A

firm stroking the soles of the feet–> irritability demonstrated with vigorous cry

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6
Q

why might a neonate be jaundiced physiologically?

A

hepatic processing system for bilirubin not efficient in first few days of life

neonatal hb has a shorter lifespan than than adults- approx 70 days vs 120 days in adults

there is a generally high Hb level at birth and this leads to high breakdown products–> clinical jaundice

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7
Q

what bilirubin level leads to clinically apparent jaundice in a neonate?

A

80 micromols/l and above

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8
Q

tell me the mechanism of phototherapy used to manage neonatal jaundice.

A

450nm wavelength of light causes photoisomerisation and photo-oxidation of bilirubin in the skin–>

changes the structural conformation of unconjugated bilirubin–> watersoluble–>

can be excreted without conjugation into the urine

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9
Q

what is the risk of leaving high levels unconjugated haemoglobin in a jaundiced infant?

A

risk of kernicterus- encephalopathy due to deposition of unconjugated bilirubin in the brain

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10
Q

what is meconium ileus?

A

impacted meconium in distal ileum

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11
Q

what is hirshsprung’s disease and what is the typical presentation in a newborn?

A

hirshsprung’s disease= incomplete development of the enteric nervous system in the large bowel.

neonates present with delayed passing of meconium (more than 2 days post birth) and signs of bowel obstruction

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12
Q

how sensitive is the heel prick test for CF in a newborn?

A

95% sensitive

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13
Q

an newborn infant is found to have excessive drooling at birth. what must we consider and investigate for?

A

oesophageal atresia (missing middle segment of oesophagus), commonly associated with distal tracheoesophageal fistula

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14
Q

a pregnant mother (gestation prior to 20 weeks) comes to see you because she noticed that one of her children has ‘slapped cheeks’. She is worried about parvovirus B19 infection. What would you do and tell her?

A

Most pregnant women (60%) are seropositive, meaning they are immune. Often the child is infectious prior to the appearance of slapped cheeks.

Perform serology looking for parvovirus IgM. If seronegative, perform serology again in 2 weeks. if seroconversion noted, then she has 50% chance the fetus will be infected–> requires serial u/s post this if seroconversion noted

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15
Q

what is the main outcome of confirmed parvovirus infection in a pregnant woman?

A

if less than 20 weeks gestation, there is a 50% chance of fetal loss or hydrops foetalis

no congenital abnormalities known to be associated with parvovirus

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16
Q

what are the two types of neonatal sepsis and how are they defined?

A

EOS= early onset sepsis (within a week post birth)

LOS= late onset sepsis (presents later than 7 days post birth)

17
Q

what are the three main bacterial pathogens which cause neonatal sepsis?

A

streptoccus agalactiae (group B strep) -most common

listeria monocytogenes

e.coli- becoming increasingly common

18
Q

how might we antenatally screen for risk of GBS neonatal sepsis?

A

at 35-37 gestation week vaginal swabs for GBS. if the pregnant woman is colonised with GBS, prophylactic antibiotics are used

if a pregnant woman is a known carrier of GBS, or have had previous pregnancies where GBS has been detected, no screening required and go straight to prophylactic antibiotics

19
Q

other than cause sepsis in a neonate, what other conditions can GBS cause?

A

pneumonia

meningitis

20
Q

an antenatal u/s scan in 3rd trimester demonstrates bilateral hydronephrosis and a full bladder in a male infant. what does this indicate?

A

posterior urethral valves

baby will be put on prophylactic trimethoprim post birth and be referred for surgery.

21
Q

what is the most important step in neonatal resuscitation

A

Ventilation

NOT chest compression or medications

22
Q

describe fetal blood flow circulation

A

vast majority of fatal blood from right side of the head goes through the PDA –> left ventricle (bypasses the lung)

only 10% CO go into the lungs

Most of CO goes into the lower limbs

23
Q

Describe the changes in cardiorespiratory system post birth in a newborn?

A

Lung expands, peripheral vascular resistance decreases, systemic vascular resistance goes up –> pulmonary blood flow increases–> functional closure of ductus arterosus

24
Q

what are some ways that we can assess fetal wellbeing?

A

Hx:
• Fetal movements?

Ex:
• Fundal height measured in cm; absolute and serial measurements

Ix:
Ultrasound and cardiotocography (CTG)

25
Q

what does ‘wet lung’ mean in obstetrics?

A

transient tachypnoea of the newborn due to fetal lung fluid

26
Q

how might we prevent meconium aspiration syndrome in utero?

A

prevent post-maturity

prevent asphyxia

27
Q

a newborn exhibits respiratory distress. other than pulmonary disorders, what are some other things you should consider?

A
  1. sepsis
  2. hypothermia
  3. hypoglycaemia
  4. anaemia
  5. CHD
28
Q

what is bronchopulmonary dysplasia?

A

chronic lung disease acquired from long term ventilation post delivery

29
Q

when is phototherapy indicated for neonatal jaundice?

A

Phototherapy is only indicated if there is too much unconjugated bilirubin

30
Q

a neonate appears greenish yellow and has pale stools for a prolonged period of time. what must you consider?

A

Green-tinge jaundice, pale stools= conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia/obstructive jaundice

–> must consider biliary atresia

31
Q

what must you do to delineate the cause of prolonged jaundice in a neonate i.e. > 10 days? what are your ddx for prolonged jaundice?

A

Prolonged jaundice: measure levels of conjugated vs unconjugated bilirubin

Unconjugated causes= breastmilk jaundice, UTI, galactosaemia, hypothyroidism + SEPTICAEMIA!

Conjugated causes= BILIARY ATRESIA

32
Q

what must you do when you notice the baby is jaundiced before 24 hrs post birth?

A

Need to do a DAT (direct Coombs antibody test) and check the maternal and newborn’s blood group + blood film

–> this is haemolytic disease of the newborn

33
Q

when does physiological jaundice peak post birth in a neonate?

A

day 3 post birth