Problems Infant, Early Childhood Flashcards
What is Positional Plagiocephaly?
–Acquired condition occurring as a result of cranial molding during infancy attributed to supine sleeping position
How are head lice transmitted, what are the clinical manifestations, and how is it treated?
Transmission:
Prolonged close contact when a female louse is able to obtain blood meal at scalp and deposit eggs on hair shaft at night.
Clinical manifestations:
– Intense pruritus of scalp (behind ears or nape of neck)
– Nits attached to hair shaft
Treatment:
- Pediculicide and removal of nits:
- Permethrin1% cream (OTC), repeat in a week, treat affected family
- Family may attempt other treatment regimens
- Education and support to families
- Advocacy and support for school attendance
How is failure to thrive classified?
Persistent weight < 5th percentile for age; height WNL
Different Classes:
- Inadequate caloric intake: incorrect formula prep, neglect, poverty, behavioral problems
- Inadequate absorption—CF/ Celiac disease, other
- Increased metabolism: hyperthyroidism, CHD (congenital heart defects)
- Defective utilization—genetic anomaly/ metabolic storage disease
What are common sources of allergies (food related) in children?
Eggs, cow’s milk, and peanuts
–80% of children with hypersensitivity to milk may outgrow it by 4 years of age
What is colic?
- Colic: excessive crying in an otherwise healthy infants
- Crying begins ~ 2 weeks, peaks ~ 6 weeks and improves by 3-4 months; usually self-limiting
What are some treatment options for FTT children?
- ↑ formula to 24cal/oz for infants
- ↑ formula to 30cal/oz for older children (1-6yrs)
- High calorie milk (Pediasure): toddlers
- Vitamin supplementation
- Parent teaching: formula prep, feeding time schedule, avoid juice
- Treating family
How is Erythema Infectiosum (fifth disease) transmitted, what are the clinical manifestations of it, how do you treat it?
- Transmission: probably droplet or direct contact
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Clinical manfiestations:
- Rash that followed stages:
- I – erythema on face (slapped face appearance)
- II – maculopapular rash on upper and lower extremities (proximal to distal)
- III – rash disappears but reappears if skin irritated (example – sun, cold, friction).
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Treatment:
- antipyretics, analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs (blood transfusion for aplastic anemia)

How would you manage an infant with atopic dermatitis?
Skin Hydration
- Avoid hot water and skin or hair products containing perfumes, dyes or fragrance
- Bathe child in warm (not hot) water using mild soap
- Pat child dry; do not rub skin
- Topical ointments/creams to affected area
- Fragrance-free moisturizer all over body
- Avoid bubble baths
Relieve pruritus
- If moderate or severe: oral antihistamine
- Non-sedating during day
- Mild sedating at night
Reduce flare-ups or inflammation
- Topical steroids
- May need prescription strength
Prevent/control infection
- Treat secondary skin infection systemically
- Minimize scratching, keep fingernails short and clean
Live as near as normal as possible
What is apnea of infancy?
–Definition—Unexplained respiratory pause lasting 20 seconds or more OR
–Less than 20 seconds accompanied by pallor, cyanosis, bradycardia, or hypotension (term infant)
–Can be symptom of other disorders:
•sepsis, sz, neurologic, upper/lower airway infection/abnormalities, GER, metabolic disorders, impaired regulation of breathing during sleep, result of intentional harm by caretaker
What are standard precautions?
- Wash hands: properly and thoughly between patient contact and other contact with bodily fluids or soiled equipment
- Wear gloves: when handling blood, body fluids, nonintact skin or soiled items, and change gloves between patients
- Wear mask: and eye protection or face sheild to protect mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth when likely to be splashed
- Wear gown: to prevent soiling of clothing and to protect skin, wash hands after removing gown
How would you manage diaper dermatitis?
- Prevention: ointments (Vitamin A, D or E; zinc oxide) or petroleum to provide barrier to the skin (make sure skin is clean or you are sealing in the bad stuff)
- Frequent diaper changes
- Use super-absorbent disposable diapers
- Gentle washing of diaper area
- Avoid baby wipes that contain fragrance or preservatives
- Expose skin to air
How would you treat Protein and Energy Malnutrition
caused by diarrhea?
–Oral rehydration
–Medications (antibiotics, anti-diarrheals)
–Provision of adequate nutrition with BF or proper weaning diet
How would you diagnose an infant with a cow’s milk allergy?
–Definitive diagnosis: elimination of milk then 2 or more challenge tests after symptoms improve
–Change infant formula to casein hydrolysate milk formula (Pregestimil, Nutramigen, Alimentum) or
–Soy formula: caution: ~ 50% sensitive to cow’s milk protein and sensitive to soy
What causes a secondary lactase deficiency?
- Secondary lactase deficiency: secondary to damage of intestinal lumen -> destroys or decreases lactase
- Ex: CF, celiac disease, kwashiorkor, infections, HIV, rotovirus
What is spitting up?
Dribbling of unswallowed formula from mouth immediately after feeding (it hasn’t gone into the stomach yet)
What are the clinical manifestations of scarlet fever and what are the treatment options?
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Clinical manifestations:
- Sandpaper rash
- Strawberry tounge
- Headache, sore throat, cervical
- lymphadenopathy, fever
-
Treatment:
- Throat swab
- Oral penicillin or cephalosporin
How are scabies transmitted, what are the clinical manifestations, and how is it treated?
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Transmission:
- Prolonged close personal
contact where the mite burrows into the epidermis and deposits eggs.
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Clinical Manifestations:
- Intense pruritus
- Excoriation and burrows
- Discrete inflammation between finger webs, neck folds, groin
-
Treatment:
- Scabicide: Older than 2 mo à Permethrin 5% cream x 8-14 hours
- Hygiene of linensand clothing with high heat
- Supportive care for pruritus 2-3 weeks.
How is the Enterobiasis Pinworm transmitted and what are the symptoms of having this, and treatment?
- Transmission: fecal-oral
-
Symptoms
- Nocturnal anal pruritus is the primary
- Worms may be seen around the anus
- Bed wetting
- Poor sleep
- Perinial itching
-
Treatment:
- Mebendazole, pyrantel pamoate, and albendazole
When does Developmental lactase deficiency occur and what are some symptoms of it?
- Lactase deficiency in preterm infants < 34 weeks gestation
- Symptoms: abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea 30 min to hours after ingestion
What causes vitamin D deficiency in infants and how would you correct it?
Is caused by:
- Exclusively BF infants without vitamin D supplement
- Minimal sunlight exposure
- Diets low in vitamin D and calcium
- Milk products not supplemented with vitamin D
Is corrected with:
- Vitamin D 400 IU/day for:
- Exclusively BF infants until taking 1 L/day vitamin D fortified formula
- Non-BF infants until taking 1 L/day vitamin D fortified formula
What are some practices that may reduce the risk of SIDS?
–Avoid smoking during pregnancy and near the infant
–Breast-feeding
–Supine sleeping position
–Avoid soft, moldable mattresses, blankets, and pillows
–Avoid bed sharing
–Avoid overheating during sleep
–Vary infant head position to prevent plagiocephaly (flat head)
How is mumps transmitted, what are the clinical manifestations of it, how do you treat it, and what type of precautions are taken for it?
- Transmission: Airborne or droplet, also direct contact with saliva
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Clinical manifestations:
- Incubation 14-18 days, infectious period over 9 days after onset of swelling
- Prodrome: non-specific myalgia, anorexia, headache and fever. Swelling usually 24 hours after fever.
- History of parotid gland tenderness (max 1-3 days)
- Earache that is worse with chewing
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Treatment:
- Analgesics and antipyretics as needed/ordered
- IV fluid if dehydration or emesis is a factor
- droplet and contact precautions
- rest
- fluids, soft diet, hot and/or cold compress to the neck
- warmth and local support (fitted underwear)
-
Precautions: Droplet and contact
- most communicable immediately before and after swelling begins
What is diaper dermatitis and what causes it?
- Acute inflammatory skin disorder caused by wearing diapers
- May be secondary to bacterial or yeast infection
- Bottle fed > BF infants
- Prolonged and repeated contact with irritant (urine, feces, soaps, detergent, friction)
How is chicken pox (varicella) transmitted, what are the clinical manifestations of it, how do you treat it, and what type of precautions are taken for it?
- Transmission: Direct contact and respiratory secretions
-
Clinical manifestations:
- “dew drop on a rose petal” appearance (frequently first lesion)
- start on the trunk (greatest concentration)
less on limbs, various stages (papule, vesicle and crust at the same time)
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Treatment:
- Keep child cool
- Anything to decrease itching (pruritus)
- alternatives to scratching
- trim nails (mittens or socks)
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Precautions: Standard
- Child is contagious a day before rash appears and until vesicles are crusted (then they are not infectious)



