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Newborn babies, especially breastfed babies, are generally healthy during their first weeks of life. But their immune systems and internal organs are not yet fully developed, so there are some ailments that can affect them at this early age.

Jaundice of The Newborn

Quite a few babies suffer from jaundice. This is a yellowish discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes caused by too much bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is a yellow pigment that’s produced when primitive red blood cells are destroyed­something that often happens after birth.

Infant jaundice usually appears by the second or third day after birth, and lasts for about seven to 10 days. By this time the surplus red blood cells have died off and the baby’s liver has matured enough to mop up the excess bilirubin in the body. The jaundice usually clears up by itself, but if the bilirubin levels are particularly high, a baby may need phototherapy. In this treatment a baby is exposed to carefully controlled amounts of ultraviolet light, which breaks down the bilirubin pigment in his skin.

Hemolytic disease of the newborn This is a more serious condition caused by too much bile in a baby’s blood. It can result from the breakdown of large numbers of red blood cells due to the action of antibodies from a Rhesus-incompatible mother. The main symptoms are jaundice, pallor, enlargement of the liver and spleen, and blood abnormalities. It’s usually treated by blood transfusion.

Diarrhea And Vomiting

Mild cases of upset stomach or diarrhea will soon pass, but a young baby’s digestive system is extremely vulnerable. Breastfed babies are less prone to these gastrointestinal infections than are bottlefed babies, because of the protective antibodies that are contained in breast milk, but all babies may suffer from them from time to time.

Contact your doctor immediately if your baby vomits up all his feedings over a six-hour period or is passing frequent, loose, green, watery stools.

Dehydration The major danger to babies who are suffering from vomiting and diarrhea is dehydration because of the loss of fluids. Symptoms of dehydration include a dry mouth, sunken eyes, the fontanelle looking or feeling unusually low, irritability, lethargy, lack of wet diapers, and refusal to feed. Never ignore these symptoms, and seek medical help at once.

Constipation

Breastfed babies don’t get constipated-the ideal composition and digestibility of breast milk keeps everything moving. Bottlefed babies can get constipated, usually because they’re not getting enough fluid. If your bottlefed baby passes no stools for a day or two, then produces a hard one, give him drinks of water between feedings to increase his fluid intake. If this doesn’t make his stools softer and more frequent, give him a little drink of diluted fruit juice twice a day, which should help to loosen his stools. If that fails, ask your women health care provider for advice.

Urinary problems Constipation is easy to treat and usually nothing to worry about. But if your baby starts to urinate infrequently, it might be a sign of a fever, a blockage, or an infection in his urinary system. If he goes for a couple of hours without wetting his diaper, give him plenty of water to drink. If his diaper is still dry two hours after that, call your doctor.

If your baby’s urine becomes strong-smelling and deepens in color, he may not be getting enough to drink. This makes the urine more concentrated. The remedy is to increase his liquid intake by giving him several drinks of water between feedings. If this doesn’t make any difference, he could have a urinary infection and might need medical treatment, so call your doctor.

Fevers

When your baby has a fever, it’s a sign that his body is fighting an infection-the rise in body temperature acts to make the body’s own defense system work harder. If you think your baby may have a fever, take his temperature. Check it again in 20 minutes to see if it’s changed, and note each reading. If your baby’s temperature rises slightly but he seems like his usual self and shows no other signs of illness, it’s probably a minor infection and will usually pass within a day or two, but tell your doctor just in case. Call your doctor right away if your baby’s temperature rises by a degree or more, he gets hot and distressed, or he shows other signs of illness such as lethargy, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Ear Infections

Babies often get colds, and these can lead to an ear infection called otitis media. This happens when the bacteria travel along one, or both, of the eustachian tubes (which link the middle ear to the back of the throat and equalize pressure in the ears) into the middle ear. Babies spend most of their time lying down, which allows the bacteria to pass along more easily. When the mucus membrane of the eustachian tube gets inflamed, bacteria are trapped in the middle ear, where they multiply.

Symptoms include a high temperature, diarrhea, crying for no
apparent reason, and any kind of discharge from the ear. Call your doctor right away. Your baby will need to be seen to confirm the diagnosis and to rule out meningitis, which has similar symptoms. Ear infections are easily cured by antibiotics.

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Posted in Health on June 19th, 2008
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