Ministery Of Higher Education Kirkuk University

And Scientific Research College Of Nursing

Health problems of the newborn baby

Nursing care for newborn baby

Prepared by : Supervisor:
1. Rami Ahmed Hussein Dr . Bestoon M. Ahmed
2. Wassan Hassan Samen
3. Ali Ismail Omar
4. Abdullah Ibrahim Hussein
5. Nabaa Fadil Hassan
2023_2022
 Introduction

About 9% of newborns need special care after birth due to prematurity,

problems with the transition from fetal to newborn life, low blood sugar,
difficulty breathing, infections, or other abnormalities. Specialized care is
often given in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Gestational age:

Gestational age refers to how far along the fetus is. Many issues that affect
newborns are related to the gestational age because it reflects the newborn's
degree of physical maturity at birth. 
 Problems Before Birth

Problems in a newborn may have begun before birth.

Problems that develop before birth may be related to conditions in the mother
that existed before the pregnancy or developed during the pregnancy, or to
conditions in the fetus. Appropriate medical care during pregnancy can help
prevent and diagnose many problems in the fetus.
Maternal health problems:

The mother's health problems during pregnancy can affect the growing fetus

and negatively impact the health of the newborn. Although mothers rightly
worry about the effects of medications on a developing fetus, they also must
realize that failing to take necessary treatments can allow their medical
disorders to harm the fetus. Women should discuss with their doctor the risks
and benefits of different treatments for their specific conditions.
Anorexia and bulimia can cause the fetus to receive inadequate nutrition, as
does any other situation in which the mother does not eat adequately or take
appropriate vitamins.
Asthma does not usually affect the fetus as long as the mother's condition is
well controlled. However, some women have significant problems with their
asthma during pregnancy and must take appropriate treatment to protect the
fetus.
Cancer itself does not usually affect the fetus, but medications used to treat
cancer may have side effects that may affect the fetus.
Diabetes may result in an increased risk of birth defects, a small baby, or
a large baby. The most common problem for newborns is low blood sugar
(hypoglycemia).
Epilepsy (a seizure disorder) increases the risk of birth defects. Some of the
increased risk is due to the antiseizure medications that may be necessary to
control seizures. However, the mother's seizures also are dangerous for the
fetus. Women should discuss with their doctor the risks and benefits of drug
treatment before they stop taking their antiseizure medications.
High blood pressure, heart disease, and kidney disease may reduce the
growth of the fetus and cause other complications.
Lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) increases the risk
of miscarriage and prematurity and can cause an abnormally slow heart rate
in the fetus.
Preeclampsia can cause severe problems for the mother and fetus. The disease
can cause the mother's blood pressure to become severely elevated and can
affect the mother's kidneys, liver, brain, and other organs. The placenta too is
affected, and the disease can affect the nutrition of the fetus or cause the
placenta to detach from the wall of the uterus. To prevent or manage such
complications, doctors may recommend early delivery. A severe complication of
preeclampsia is eclampsia, which is the development of seizures in a woman
with preeclampsia.
Thyroid disease that causes a low thyroid hormone level (hypothyroidism) may
cause brain damage in the fetus and lead to long-term neurologic problems if it
is not diagnosed soon after birth.
 Smoking or being exposed to second hand smoke during
pregnancy decreases the growth of the fetus. Pregnant women should not
smoke and should avoid exposure to other sources of tobacco smoke as much
as possible.
Alcohol is particularly dangerous to the fetus because it is a teratogen (a
substance that can cause birth defects). Alcohol increases the risk
of miscarriage, stillbirth, poor growth of the fetus, prematurity, and birth
defects. A particularly devastating effect of alcohol is fetal alcohol syndrome,
which causes life-long intellectual, developmental, and behavioral disabilities.
There is no safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy.
 Problems After Birth

Some newborns, especially those who are preterm, have problems that develop or a
discovered after birth. Disorders may affect various organ systems in the body.

Some disorders that affect the lungs and breathing include:

• Apnea of prematurity
• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
• Meconium aspiration syndrome
• Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn
• Pneumothorax in newborns
• Respiratory distress syndrome
• Transient tachypnea of the newborn
Some disorders that affect the blood include:

• Anemia in the newborn

• Hemolytic disease of the newborn
• Polycythemia in the newborn

Some disorders that affect the hormones include:

• Hyperthyroidism in the newborn

• Hypothyroidism in the newborn
Some disorders that affect the gastrointestinal tract and liver include:

• Cholestasis in the newborn

• Jaundice in the newborn
• Meconium ileus
• Meconium plug syndrome
• Necrotizing enterocolitis

There are diseases that affect other systems in the newborn's body as well,
such as retinopathy of prematurity, which affects the eyes of some preterm
newborns.
Birth injuries

Babies can be injured during birth, especially if labor is long or difficult, or when babies
are very large. While newborns recover quickly from some of these injuries, others
persist. Occasionally a broken collarbone occurs, which will heal quickly. After a few
weeks a small lump may form at the fracture site, but don't be alarmed; this is a sign that
new bone is forming to mend the injury, and it will soon be as good as new.
Muscle weakness is another common birth injury during labor, caused by pressure or
stretching of the nerves attached to the muscles. These muscles, usually weakened on
one side of the face or one shoulder or arm, generally re­turn to normal after several
weeks. In the meantime, ask your pediatrician to show you how to nurse and hold the
baby to promote healing.
Colic
Colic is very common in babies but that does not make it easier for parents to handle.
When a baby cries continuously for no apparent reason, especially in the evening, he
may have colic. The exact cause of colic is not known and some theories behind it
suggest that it could be because of gas, hormones that cause stomach pain,
overstimulation by light or sound, or a growing digestive system. Colic starts at 2
weeks in full-term infants and should subside by the time the baby is 3 months of age.
However, if this condition persists, it could be because of intolerance to milk formula
or some other underlying condition.
Jaundice:

Jaundice is very common in newborns and

infants. It occurs when there is an excess of
bilirubin in baby’s blood, which causes
yellowish pigmentation of the skin. It occurs
because the baby’s liver is not mature enough to
get rid of the excess bilirubin in the blood.
Neonatal jaundice normally resolves with time.
In most cases, it should disappear within 2 to 3
weeks of the baby’s birth. However, if it persists
longer than 3 weeks, it could be a symptom of an
underlying condition and parents should check
with their baby’s doctor.
Abdominal Distension
Abdominal distension can occur in newborns and
healthy infants. One of the prominent causes of
abdominal distension in infants is swallowing of excess
air. As a parent, you need to observe the belly of your
infant. Newborns have protruding and soft bellies. If
your baby’s belly feels hard and swollen when you
touch it, it could be because of gas or constipation. As
the baby’s body begins to adjust to feeding, the problem
should get resolved. However, if a bluish tinge persists
and much distension of the abdomen is present, it could
mean a serious underlying problem with the internal
organs.
Bluish Skin and Apnea
Newborns tend to have bluish hands and feet.
However, the blue colour fades in time as the
blood circulation improves in their bodies. But
if you notice bluish tinge around your baby’s
mouth and it persists for long along with
breathing difficulties, it could mean that the
baby’s heart and lungs are not functioning well.
Your baby could have apnea if his breathing
stops for 15 to 20 seconds and he has bluish
skin. Underlying condition indicated is a heart
problem that needs medical attention and
intervention.
Vomiting
Sometimes babies vomit or spit the milk they feed – it
is a common occurrence. This is why mothers tend
to burp their babies to prevent them from throwing up.
After being fed, however, if your baby throws up the
milk and you notice a greenish colour in vomit and he
continues to vomit, then it could result in a serious
problem. Infants can get dehydrated very quickly and
medical help and treatment may be needed. Lactose and
breast milk intolerance is also a fairly
common problem that needs medical support and
monitoring. Frequent vomiting and spitting up of the
milk could be due to an underlying infection
or digestive problems.
Coughing

If the flow of the milk is too fast, the baby

might cough while being fed. Persistent
coughing and gagging while being fed could
indicate a problem with the lungs or the
digestive system. Coughing at night
continuously may indicate whooping cough or
respiratory problems.
Respiratory Distress
This occurs when there is insufficient
oxygen for the baby due to a blockage in his
nasal passage. The baby may have bluish
skin because of the lack of oxygen. It takes a
few hours for the newborn baby to learn to
breathe normally. Once normal breathing is
established, there should be no more bluish
colouration. If wheezing, grunting, and
bluish colour persists, checking with a
healthcare professional is a must.
Anemia

Children of anaemic mothers are born anaemic. Anaemia is a condition in which red blood
cells are less than normal as per a child’s age. Anaemia is the lack of haemoglobin,
indicating that the level of oxygen in the blood is low and that the blood is thick. Medical
intervention is a must as untreated anaemia could prove to be fatal.

Fever

Fever is an indication that the body is fighting an infection. However, high and persistent
fever above 101 degrees in newborns and infants can lead to seizures and brain damage. 
Skin Problems
Problems like diaper rash and cradle cap are
common skin issues which can be painful for a baby.
The baby may get diaper rash because of wearing wet
or soiled diapers for long or because of an allergic
reaction to the dyes or contents of the diaper. Frequent
changing of diapers and use of a good diaper rash
cream is recommended. If the baby has cradle cap, it
could be because of excess oil production by skin
glands surrounding hair follicles. The main symptom
of cradle cap is scales on the scalp. You can wash your
baby’s hair with mild shampoo on a daily basis to
loosen up and remove the scales on his scalp.
Ear Infections

Ear infections are common in babies. When

a baby has an ear infection, he may tug at
his infected ear and will be very fussy.
Viral infections are common but they
subside within a few days. Bacterial
infections, however, can persist for long
and can even lead to loss of hearing and
may need antibiotics.
Oral Thrush

Oral thrush is a yeast infection occurring

in the mouth of the babies. Also known
as oral candidiasis, this infection is
common in babies. It causes white
lesions on the tongue or inner cheeks. If
your baby has oral thrush, check with the
doctor if it is serious enough to
administer anti-fungal medication.
Cold and Flu

A cold and flu affect almost all infants and newborns as they adjust to the outside world.
Although a cold and flu may appear insignificant, it should not be taken lightly as a cold and
flu can develop into pneumonia and other serious diseases in newborns and infants.

Diarrhoea

Diarrhoea is a common reaction to antibiotics and infections in infants. If your baby has
diarrhoea, keep him well hydrated by giving him oral saline and water. Also, monitor his
stool – if you notice a change in his colour and texture of stools, consult a doctor. Just like
diarrhoea, constipation is also very common in infants and newborns.