Preterm And Low Birth Weight Flashcards
What are corticosteroids?
Steroids GIVEN to the Mother to help the
development of the fetus lungs @34 wks
What is magnesium sulphate used for
Given to mum to help the brain development of the fetus, it prevents cerabal palsy. Given @LESS than 30wks
What to do in antenatal care ?
- Transfer for appropriate care if safe
- Corticosteroids given if LESS than 34 wks
- Give Magnesium sulphate of less than 30wks
- Effective communication with parents and appropriate healthcare professionals
- Tour of NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT
What can cause Premature delivery?
- Smoking
- Drinking alcohol
- Stress
- Substance abuse
- low or high maternal age
- infection
- previous premature birth
- high blood pressure
- multiple birth
- maternal illness/injury
- 25% no identified cause
What is considered as preterm?
<37/40wks
What is considered as very Preterm?
29-34/40 wks
What is considered as moderate prematurity?
35-37/40wks
What is considered as extremely preterm?
24-28/40wks
What can premature babies suffer from?
- poor breathing and circulation
- poor nutrition
- Imbalanced blood sugars
- infection
- Jaundice
- intolerance of handling
- skin integrity
- ventricular haemorrhage
- retinopathy
What are possible causes for low birth weight?
- Placental Failure
- congenital infection
- chromosome abnormality
- Substance abuse
- Malnourished mother
- Asymmetric IUGR
What can be considered as Low Birth Weight?
<2500g
What is considered as very Low Birth Weight?
<1500g
What is considered as extremely Low Birth Weight?
<1000g
Low Birth Weight babies…
- May be born term/Preterm
- weight is below 10th percentile for gestation
- Have difficulty with Tempreture control
- Low blood sugars
- Feeding
- polychthima
- organ failure
When do babies suffer from respiratory distress syndrome?
- predominately occurs in premature babies
- babies delivered by LSCS
- Monozytogtic TWINS
- lack of surfactant
Signs of increased work breathing?
- Tachypnoea
- Apnoea
- Resscation
- Grunting
- nasal flaring
- Dusky/cynosed
What is a thermo neutral Environment?
An environment that encourages the Minimum metabolic rate and oxygen consumption to maintain a normal body temperature.
What is the normal temperature for the baby?
36.7-37.3
What is would u see physically in an Symetrical IUGR baby?
SMALL HEAD AND SMALL BODY
What would you physically see in an Asymmetrical IUGR baby?
NORMAL HEAD AND SMALL ABDOMEN
Name 6 clinical features
- poor breast bud formation
- Thin umbilical cord
- Absence of buccal fat (old man look)
- Long finger nails
- large head
- small Abdomen
- Loose, dry and east peel able skin
Why do preterm and Low Birth Weight babies get cold?
- Larger surface area
- low subcutaneous Fat
- low Brown fat
- low body water content
- ineffective positioning ability
- poor response to cold stress
- unable to maintain peripheral vasoconstriction
Name 5 strategies to prevent cold stress?
- Warm room
- Dry baby
- Skin to Skin
- Early feeding
- Monitoring of temperature
