Neonatal infections
The vast majority of newborns enter the world healthy. But sometimes develop infants requiring medical conditions
Tests and treatment.
Newborns are particularly susceptible to certain diseases, much more than older children and adults. Your new immune system
Systems are not sufficiently developed to the bacteria, viruses and parasites that cause these infections are fighting.
As a result, when newborns are sick, they may need to spend time in the hospital - or even the NICU
Unit (ICU) - to recover. Although it can be frightening to see your baby in the hospital, a hospital stay is often the
best path back to good health for a sick newborn.
Signs to look for
Many infections cause similar symptoms. Call your child's doctor or seek immediate medical care if your baby shows new
each of these possible signs of infection:
poor diet
Difficulty breathing
Weariness
reduced or elevated temperature,
unusual rash or changes in skin color
persistent crying
unusual irritability
A marked change in a baby's behavior, such as suddenly sleeping all the time or do not sleep much at all, also may be
Signs that something is wrong.
These signs are of even greater importance when the baby is less than 2 months old. To maintain good health, your baby
checked by a doctor right away if you suspect a problem.
Group B streptococcal disease (GBS)
What's this?
Group B streptococcus is a common type of bacteria that can cause a variety of infections in newborns. Some of the
common are sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis. Babies usually get the bacteria from their mothers during birth - many
pregnant women carry this bacteria in the rectum or vagina, where it easily can happen to the baby if the mother hasn
Treated 'T with antibiotics.
Babies with GBS often show symptoms of infection within the first week of life, although some symptoms develop or weeks
Months later. Depending on the infection (pneumonia and sepsis, for example), the symptoms can include shortness of breath
or feeding, a high temperature, listlessness or unusual quirk.
How is it diagnosed and treated?
To diagnose GBS, doctors perform blood tests, and take cultures of blood, urine, and, if necessary, CSF
search for bacteria. Doctors use needles to get a blood test and a spinal needle to do a lumbar puncture for
CSF. The urine is obtained usually introduced through a catheter into the urethra. Infections caused by GBS are
treated with antibiotics, as well as proper care and supervision in hospital.
Listeriosis
What's this?
Infection with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria can cause diseases such as pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis in
Newborns. Most people encounter the bacteria by eating contaminated food because the bacteria found in soil and water
and may end up on fruits and vegetables, as well as in foods that come from animals, such as meat and dairy products come.
Foods that are not properly cleaned, pasteurized or cooked can someone listeriosis.
Babies can acquire bacteria from their mothers during pregnancy if the mother contracts listeriosis. In severe cases,
Listeriosis can cause premature delivery or even stillbirth. Babies were born with listeriosis, can be signs of infection
similar to those of GBS.
How is it diagnosed and treated?
Can reveal a blood or spinal fluid culture, the presence of the bacteria and infected babies are treated with
Antibiotics in the hospital.
E. Coli
What's this?
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a bacterial culprit behind some common neonatal infections, and can lead to urinary
Urinary tract infections, sepsis, meningitis and pneumonia. Everyone carries E. coli in their bodies and babies can
infected during childbirth as they pass through the birth canal, or through contact with the bacteria in the
Hospital or at home. Most newborns who have become ill from E. coli infection, fragile immune system that
make them particularly vulnerable to ill.
As with other bacterial infections, the symptoms of the nature of the infection, the development of E. coli dependent but
Fever, unusual restlessness, lethargy or lack of interest in feeding are common.
How is it diagnosed and treated?
Doctors diagnose E. coli infection by culturing blood, urine or cerebrospinal fluid, and treat the infection with
Antibiotics.
Meningitis
What's this?
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by viruses, fungi,
and bacteria, including Listeria, GBS and E. coli. Newborns can pick up one of these pathogens during birth or from
their environment, especially when the immune system it that it would make them more vulnerable weakened.
Symptoms of infection in newborns are not very specific and can be persistent crying, irritability, sleep disturbances include more
as usual, lethargy, refusing to take the breast or bottle, low or unstable body temperature, jaundice, pallor,
Breathing problems, skin rashes, vomiting or diarrhea. As the disease progresses, babies can fontanelle or soft spots begin
bulge.
How is it diagnosed and treated?
Meningitis, especially bacterial meningitis is a serious infection in newborns. Is suspected, the doctor will do a
Lumbar puncture (also known as a spinal tap), a needle into the spine to withdraw a sample of cerebrospinal fluid
Liquid.
Treatment of meningitis depends on what caused it. Infants with bacterial and fungal meningitis receive antibiotics
during viral meningitis can be treated with antiviral drugs. All children with meningitis usually spend a lot of time in the
Hospital for monitoring and intensive supportive care.
Sepsis
What's this?
Sepsis is a serious infection that involves the spread of germs throughout the body's blood and tissues. They may be caused
by viruses, fungi, parasites or bacteria. Some of these pathogens are acquired during birth, while others
taken from the environment. As with meningitis, the symptoms of sepsis are non-specific and differ from child to child.
A lower heart rate, breathing problems, jaundice, trouble feeding, low or unstable body temperature, lethargy, or extreme
Fussiness can all be signs of infection.
How is it diagnosed and treated?
To diagnose or rule out sepsis, doctors draw blood and sometimes examine CSF and other body fluids
studied bacteria or other pathogens. They typically look for sepsis and meningitis in the same work. After a positive
Diagnosis is made, the child will receive a course of antibiotics during a stay in hospital.
Conjunctivitis
What's this?
Some newborns develop an inflammation of the membranes covering eye (or conjunctivitis), known as conjunctivitis or
Conjunctivitis which appears as redness and swelling in the eye, usually accompanied by a discharge. Both bacterial and viral
Infections can cause conjunctivitis in the newborn.
How is it diagnosed and treated?
A thorough physical examination and laboratory tests on a sample of discharge from the eye helps the doctor determine which
Cause of the infection. Antibiotic eye drops or ointment for the treatment of conjunctivitis in a newborn. The infection
can be very contagious, so the doctor may also suggest that other children in the family limit contact with the baby. When
a severe type of conjunctivitis is suspected, hospitalization may be necessary.
Candidiasis
What's this?
An overgrowth of the yeast Candida common, found on each body, leading to the fungal infection candidiasis. In
Newborn, it usually shows up as diaper rash, but babies can also develop oral thrush in the mouth and throat. It causes
Cracks in the corners of the mouth and white patches on the tongue, palate, lips and inner cheeks. Neonates
Thrush often have to get up the fungus from the mother's vagina during birth or collected during lactation.
How is it diagnosed and treated?
Sometimes the doctor will take a swab from one of the patches in the mouth, and examine it for signs of the fungus. In most
Cases this is not necessary, and the treatment is started based on the appearance of mouth lesions alone. Thrush can
treated with liquid antifungal agent.
Congenital infections
What are they?
Many infections that affect newborns will be transmitted from the mother to the child, either during pregnancy or delivery. Because
the baby is born with them, they are known as congenital infections. They are often caused by viruses and parasites.
Congenital infections include HIV (which causes AIDS), rubella (German measles), chicken pox, syphilis, herpes;
Toxoplasmosis and cytomegalovirus (CMV), the most common congenital infection and the most common cause of congenital
Hearing loss. Some of these infections such as listeriosis GBS infection and can be purchased either from the mother
or later from the neonatal environment.
It is more likely that babies who are born with an infection if their mothers are infected for the first time with a
especially seed during pregnancy. However, transmission to the child born not always occur, so many babies of mothers
with these infections do not have the infection. Other newborns not initially show signs of illness, but
can later show their effects.
The risk that these infections pose to an infant often depends if the mother exposed to the germ. With many
Infections such as rubella and toxoplasmosis, the risk is greatest in the first trimester. When the nut is
then infected, it can cause serious problems such as heart disease, brain damage, hearing loss, visual impairment or even
Miscarriage. Infection later in pregnancy may lead to less severe effects on the fetus but still cause problems
with the child's growth or development.
Some early signs of a possible congenital infection: a large or small head, small body size, seizures, problems
with eyes, skin rashes, jaundice, enlarged abdominal organs and a heart murmur.
How are they diagnosed and treated?
If congenital infection is suspected, the doctor, blood tests and cultures of blood and other fluids from the Run
Infant, and sometimes the mother to try to make a diagnosis. The treatment often involves the antiviral or antibiotic
Drugs that are used to control the disease in elderly patients and intensive supportive care should be treated, while the baby is in
the hospital. Also call for close medical follow-up to the impact of the disease, observed that congenital infections
may develop as the child grows.
Complications in the neonatal infections
Neonatal infections are not treated promptly or that propagation can have serious consequences. Since babies and body
Organs a rapid development, a disruption in this process lead to complications, including lead growth,
Developmental, neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory and sensory problems. In severe cases, neonatal infections
even be fatal.
With her fragile new immune system, the babies are not well equipped to deal with the infection. Premature or otherwise
immunocompromised babies are at an even greater risk of developing a critical illness of a bacterium or virus,
could result in an older child a simple disease. Early diagnosis, prompt treatment and close monitoring and care giving a
Baby the best chance to overcome the infection.
Neonatal infections can be prevented?
If a pregnant woman with a diagnosis of these infections, or if they are at risk of infection as a preventive
Measures to reduce the likelihood that they will pass it on to her baby. As many infections can be treated with
Given medicine, the mother while she is pregnant is extremely useful maternal tests.
In many cases, a quick blood or fluid test to determine whether a pregnant woman should be treated. For a woman with
Listeriosis, treatment with antibiotics is generally prevents the transfer of bacteria to the fetus. Women who are HIV
positive advised antiretroviral drugs during pregnancy to reduce the risk that their babies move in together
HIV infection.
Other neonatal infections are best prevented through the steps that expectant mothers think of the development of the infection in
the first place.
Women can help protect themselves and their unborn babies by:
immunized that they have against rubella and chickenpox infection before trying to get pregnant
thorough washing and cooking food, to wash their hands regularly (especially before and after preparing food, after using
the toilet and after contact with body fluids and waste), and avoiding all contact with cat and other
lead to reduce the risk of animal feces bacteria and parasites that cause infections such as listeriosis and
Toxoplasmosis
To avoid safer sex, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) that cause congenital infections
Some preventive measures are routine parts of pregnancy and childbirth. Many doctors recommend that an expectant mother
have to check a simple smear test late in pregnancy, whether she carries GBS. If she is, she will receive intravenous
(IV) antibiotics during labor to reduce the risk of transmission of the bacteria to her baby. Also put doctors routinely
to prevent antibiotic eye drops or ointment in newborns' eyes conjunctivitis caused by gonorrhea bacteria.