COMMON HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT BY: Alexia Anterola

2BSN
DEVELOP DURING INFANCY
CONTENT:
Intussusception
Failure to Thrive
SIDS
INTESTINAL DISORDERS: INTUSSUSCEPTION
Intussusception – the invagination of one portion of the intestine into another, usually
occurs in the second half of the first year of life.
INTUSSUSCEPTION: ASSESSMENT
• Children with this disorder suddenly draw up their legs and cry as if they are in
severe pain
• May also cause vomiting
• After the peristaltic wave that caused the discomfort passes, they are symptom free
and play happily
• In approximately 15 minutes, the same phenomenon of intense abdominal pain
strikes again
• after 12 hours, presence of blood in stool appears
• If necrosis occurs in the invaginated bowel, children develop elevated temperature,
peritoneal irritation
INTUSSUSCEPTION: DIAGNOSIS
Diagnosis is suggested by the history. Any time a parent is describing a child who is
crying, be certain to ask enough questions the possibility of intussusception. Episodes
of crying are for a short time but repeat every 15 minutes to 20 minutes; the stomach
feels full and vomitus and diarrhea with blood may occur.
The presence of intussusception is confirmed by an abdominal X-ray, MRI ultrasound
or a compound tomography (CT) scan
THERAPEUTIC MANAGEMENT
• Surgical emergency
• Reduction of the intussusception must be done promptly by either instillation of a
water-soluble solution, barium enema or air into the bowel or surgery to reduce the
invagination before necrosis of the affected portion of the bowel occurs.
• If there is no lead point, just the pressure of the nonsurgical techniques may reduce
the intussusception.
FAILURE TO THRIVE (REACTIVE ATTACHMENT
DISORDER)
Is a unique syndrome in which an infant falls below the 5th percentile for weight and
height on a standard growth chart or is falling in percentiles on a growth chart.
The condition is usually divided into two categories:
1. One where severe loss of weight can be explained because of organic causes
(cardiac disease)
2. And the second that occurs because of a disturbance of the parent-child
relationship resulting in maternal role insufficiency (a nonorganic cause)
FAILURE TO THRIVE: ASSESSMENT
 Take a detailed pregnancy history of children at routine health assessments, because in
many instances, a breakdown in the development of parenting began in the prenatal period
because of such factors as a pregnancy that was unintended or not accepted, a partner who
left during the pregnancy, an economic catastrophe such as loss of a job, or a long distance
move that left support people behind.
 Always weigh children at routine assessments and plot and compare their weight with
standard growth curves so children who are failing to thrive can be identified at the earliest
point possible. On PE, these infants usually demonstrate typical characteristics such as:
• Lethargy with poor muscle tone, a loss of subcutaneous fat or skin breakdown
• Lack of resistance to the examiner’s manipulation unlike the response of the average infant
• Rocking on all fours excessively as if seeking stimulation
• Delays in sitting, pulling to a standing position, crawling and walking because the child spends
so much time alone
THERAPEUTIC MANAGEMENT
With rare exceptions, children with failure to thrive need to be removed from the
parents’ care for evaluation and therapy. Otherwise, the syndrome may lead to
permanent neurologic damage or leave a child cognitively challenged because of
protein deficits and interference with brain and metabolism, if an infant is admitted
to a hospital, studies other than routine admission blood work and urinalysis are
usually delayed, to avoid submitting such an underestimated child to pain or
unnecessary manipulation
SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME (SIDS)
Is the sudden, unexplained death of an infant younger than 1 year of age. Although
the specific cause of SIDS cannot be explained, interventions such as:

 Parents are advised to let a baby sleep in a separate close by rather than in their
bed so the parents do not awaken et every toss and squeak and possibly avoid
infant suffocation. Doing so allows infants to learn to quiet themselves and go back to
sleep should they awaken briefly.
 Caution parents not to place pillows in infant’s crib
 Always place an infant on his back to sleep because this position markedly reduces
the incidence of sudden infant syndrome
Decrease the incidence of the syndrome