The Healthy Term Infant Flashcards
What are the boundaries of the neonatal period?
The 1st 28 days of life
What does the anterior fontanelle show in meningitis?
Bulging fontanelle
What does a sunken anterior fontanelle show?
Severe dehydration
What happens to the posterior fontanelle in congenital hypothyroidism?
It stays open
What is caput succedaneum?
Elongated collection fluid on presenting part.
May cross the midline
What is a cephalohaematoma?
A collection of blood under the periosteum of the skull bone.
Doesn’t cross suture lines
What is macrosomnia?
A large baby, often from diabetic mother. High glucose in utero stimulates baby’s insulin and growth.
What is milia?
A common skin rash in baby
Small pale spots on face (esp. nose)
Usually disappears by end of neonatal period
What are mongolian blue spots?
Deep blue pigmentation on lower trunk
Describe the breathing of a healthy term infant?
Irregular in depth, rate and rhythm
Gentle, quiet, rapid and shallow
No sound
Varies from 30-60 breaths/min
How many secs without a breath in a neonate is normal?
5
What is the cause of neonatal physiological jaundice?
Foetus has more haemoglobin to carry more O2
This needs to be broken down after birth
There is a backlog of conjugated haemoglobin
What are worrying factors in neonatal jaundice?
Jaundice in 1st 24 hrs
Jaundice that lasts longer than a day
Un-conjugated jaundice
What are the causes of neonatal jaundice?
Physiological Blood group incompatibility Other haemolytic disorder Sepsis Liver disorders Metabolic disorders
What is the treatment of neonatal jaundice?
Most need no treatment
Severe cases- phototherapy
Treat the cause.
