Child Health Flashcards
(135 cards)
Haemorrhagic disease of the newborn
Bleeding problem that occurs in a baby during the first few days of life.
Babies are normally born with low levels of vitamin K, an essential factor in blood clotting.
A deficiency in vitamin K is the main cause of hemorrhagic disease in newborn babies.
Haemorrhagic disease of the newborn Mx
Vitamin K: IM or oral
hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy
Brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation to the brain, also commonly known as intrapartum asphyxia.
Hypoxia (lack of oxygen), ischaemia (restriction of blood flow to brain) and encephalopathy (malfunctioning of the brain)
The newborn’s body can compensate for brief periods of depleted oxygen, but if the asphyxia lasts too long, brain tissue is destroyed. Leads to cerebral palsy and multisystem organ damage
hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy signs/symptoms
events that could lead to hypoxia during the perinatal or intrapartum period
acidosis (pH < 7) on the umbilical artery blood gas
features of mild, moderate or severe HIE (see below) or evidence of multi organ failure.
Poor Apgar scores – active resuscitation required
Neurodevelopmental sequalae
hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy causes
- Maternal shock
- Intrapartum haemorrhage
- Prolapsed cord, causing compression of the cord during birth
- Nuchal cord, where the cord is wrapped around the neck of the baby
hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy Mx
active resuscitation required: ongoing optimal ventilation, circulatory support, nutrition, acid base balance
• monitoring and treatment of seizures
• therapeutic hypothermia: protect brain from hypoxic injury (reduce inflammation and neurone loss)
Neonatal Jaundice: physiological jaundice
exaggerated with prematurity and immature liver – increased risk of kernicterus
- Fetal red blood cells break down more rapidly than normal red blood cells, releasing lots of bilirubin.
- Normally this bilirubin is excreted via the placenta, however at birth the foetus no longer has access to a placenta to excrete bilirubin. Additionally liver systems have not fully matured
- This leads to a normal rise in bilirubin shortly after birth, causing a mild yellowing of skin and sclera from 2 – 7 days of age.
- This usually resolves completely by 10 days.
Neonatal Jaundice: Increased production of bilirubin
- Haemolytic disease of the newborn
- ABO incompatibility
- Haemorrhage including Intraventricular haemorrhage
- Cephalo-haematoma (scalp and the skull)
- Polycythaemia
- Sepsis and (DIC)
- G6PD deficiency
Neonatal Jaundice: Decreased clearance of bilirubin:
- Prematurity
- Breast milk jaundice
- Neonatal cholestasis
- Extrahepatic biliary atresia
- Endocrine disorders (hypothyroid and hypopituitary)
- Gilbert syndrome
Jaundice in first 24 hours?
first 24 hours of life is pathological. This needs urgent investigations and management. Neonatal sepsis is a common cause. Babies with jaundice within 24 hours of birth need treatment for sepsis if they have any other clinical features or risk factors.
Breast milk Jaundice why?
Components of breast milk inhibit the ability of the liver to process the bilirubin. Breastfed babies are more likely to become dehydrated if not feeding adequately.
Inadequate breastfeeding may lead to slow passage of stools, increasing absorption of bilirubin in the intestines.
Keep on breastfeeding – just extra support
Prolonged Jaundice
- More than 14 days in full term babies
- More than 21 days in premature babies
- biliary atresia, hypothyrodisim and G6PD deficiency common causes
Neonatal Jaundice Ix
FBC & blood film for polycythaemia or anaemia
- Conjugated bilirubin: elevated levels indicate a hepatobiliary cause
- mother and baby for ABO or rhesus incompatibility
• Direct Coombs Test (direct antiglobulin test) for haemolysis
• Thyroid function, particularly for hypothyroid
• Blood and urine cultures if infection is suspected.
• Glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G6PD) levels for G6PD deficiency
Neonatal Jaundice Mx
Phototherapy
Exchange transfusion
Hypothermia - which babies at risk?
Small for dates / Preterm
o Low stores of brown fat
o Little subcutaneous fat
o Larger surface area: vol
Hypothermia Mx
Dry Hat Skin to skin blanket Heated mattress incubator
Intraventricular Hemorrhage
bleeding into the brain’s ventricular system, where the cerebrospinal fluid is produced and circulates through towards the subarachnoid space.
Intraventricular Hemorrhage classification grades
Grade 1 and 2 : Neurodevelopmental delay up to 20% and Mortality 10%
Grade 3 and 4: Neurodevelopmental delay up to 80% and Mortality 50%
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)
Disorder affecting premature neonates, where part of the bowel becomes necrotic. Usually affects babies in the first week of life. It is a life-threatening emergency.
• Death of the bowel tissue can lead to bowel perforation.
• Bowel perforation leads to peritonitis and shock.
Risk factors for NEC
- Very low birth weight or very premature
- Formula feeds (it is less common in babies fed by breast milk feeds)
- Respiratory distress and assisted ventilation
- Sepsis
- Patient ductus arteriosus and other congenital heart disease
NEC signs/symptoms
Intolerance to feeds/poor feeding
Vomiting, particularly with green bile • Generally unwell – decreased activity • Distended, tender abdomen • Absent bowel sounds • Blood in stools • Perforation leading to peritonitis and shock
NEC Ix
FBC - thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, CRP and blood cultures - Cap blood gas: metabolic acidosis - stool cultures - AXR: Pneumatosis intestinalis & Pneumoperitoneum
NEC Mx
- stop feeding orally
- PN with IV fluids and broad spectrum antibiotics
NG tube - drain fluid and gas
Surgery - remove dead tissue and temp stoma
Tetralogy of Fallot
Four defects include a ventricular septal defect (VSD), pulmonary valve stenosis, a misplaced aorta and a thickened right ventricular wall (right ventricular hypertrophy)