“Congratulations madam Janet; what a bundle of joy you have here after years of trying for a baby! ““Wait a minute; have you noticed the yellowish tinge on your baby’s eyes and skin? “No, I haven’t. Thanks for letting me know; I will go back to the hospital tomorrow so the midwife can check.”
But for the keen eyes of more experienced mothers, many cases of neonatal jaundice would have gone unnoticed. Such is the scenario with many things that could go wrong with the health of a newborn baby. While it’s true that irrespective of culture, we regard a newborn baby as a bundle of joy; many things could go wrong, truncating that joy, the very joy we wish to sustain. It is essential therefore for an expecting mother to be well aware of potentially harmful changes to your baby’s health long before they arise.
So, what are danger signs or red flags to note about your newborn’s health?
Weight loss: newborns will normally lose about 10 percent of their birthweight within two to three days after birth and regain their weight in another week or thereabout. Failure to gain weight (you’ll know this by your baby’s loose skin, reduced diaper soiling, and low weight) is a red flag.
High/low temperatures: Look out for fever or temperatures higher than 37.5 °C. These could result from infections like common colds, pneumonia, ear infections, stomach bugs, urine infections. Fever so high as to result in a fit or convulsions is a serious red flag; seek emergency help immediately! Just like high temperature, temperatures below 35.5 °C are also a red flag.
Difficulty in breathing: Fast breathing over 60 breaths per minute and difficulty in breathing seen as severe chest in-drawing are red flags that warrant medical attention. This could be a sign of problems in your baby’s lungs.
Lethargy: Newborns love to play when awake. Weakness or lethargy, which presents asdrowsiness, sluggishness, and excessive sleeping are all red flags.
Vomiting: Spitting up food, dribbling milk and burping are normal in newborns. Red flags to look out for, however, include forceful vomiting and spitting up large amounts of milk. Discolored vomitus is even more serious, especially with a green-tinge, which may be a sign of your baby’s intestines being blocked — your baby needs emergency medical attention!!
Dehydration: Look out for sunken eyes and dry skin followingbouts of diarrhea and vomiting: these are red flags of dehydration. However, you do not need to wait for your child to get dehydrated; once your child begins to vomit or pass watery stools, seek medical help immediately.
Infrequent or too frequent wetting of diapers: three or fewer episodes of diaper wetting per day and signs of distressed could be red flags for urinary tract infection. Persistent pinkish stain on diapers and blood-stained diapers are also red flags that require medical attention.
Crying and excess irritability: All babies cry,but when crying comes suddenly or becomes persistent, there might be a problem. Irritability of the newborn and unusual sounds while crying are red flags of either colic pain or a severe intestinal problem called intussusception, which requires emergency medical attention!
Take-home message: the number of red flags to note about your newborn’s health could be daunting; therefore, it is essential to pay close attention to the smallest changes to your baby’s health to catch these red flags early.
