Caring for a newly-born baby often proves to be a very draining experience for all new parents. Making sure that everything goes right with the baby is a very tough task for most parents. While you enjoy motherhood or fatherhood for the first time, a sense of worry concerning the frequent infections, congenital anomalies & future brain development of your newborn always keep haunting you. There are instances where some parents even need the best NICU facility to monitor and take care of their babies against various infections and some other common health problems. Making things simpler and easier for new parents, this blog sheds light on some of the most common health problems babies often fall prey to, and the ways to address them without any urgent need to visit any pediatric hospital in Jaipur or any other part of the country.
Here we go:
1. Colic
There are instances in the new parent’s life when their small children keep crying incessantly and taking even a short nap becomes a Herculean task for them. Most parents are unable to understand the real cause behind why their infants are crying. In these circumstances, there are strong chances that they are suffering from colic. This condition among babies is attributed to aerophagia & lack of proper burping. Therefore, if your baby is crying continuously, then you might need to consult a specialist without any delay.
2. Birth Injuries
The birth of a baby is a very complicated process in which there are various possibilities of birth injuries or birth traumas. As per the information available, birth injuries are often caused by forceps used to get the baby out of the birth canal. However, most babies recover very fast from such birth injuries. On the other hand, babies delivered normally might develop some swelling on their scalp which is caused by the force of the vacuum used during the birth process.
3. Jaundice
Jaundice is one of the most common problems in newborns. It happens when there is an abundance of bilirubin in baby’s blood, which causes yellowish discoloration of the skin and sclera. This is a common issue as many infants are brought into the world with neonatal jaundice. It happens because the newborn's liver isn't sufficiently developed to dispose of the overabundance of bilirubin in the blood. Neonatal jaundice often settles over time. Generally speaking, it must vanish within 2 to 3 weeks after birth. If it persists longer than 3 weeks, it may be indicator of a hidden medical condition and guardians need to check it with their child's primary healthcare physician without making any delay.
4. Abdominal Distension
Abdominal distension is also one of the most common problems among newborns and various times among healthy infants. Abdominal distension occurs when babies swallow excess air, poor muscle tone of abdomen, infection of gut & faulty feedings. As a parent, you need to be extremely particular about observing the belly of the babies. Newborns necessarily have very soft and protruding bellies. In case, the belly of your infant feels hard and swollen when touched, it might be the result of underlying some serious ailment.
5. Respiratory Distress
Prematurity with delay in lungs maturation and delayed absorption of lung fluid causes the insufficiency of oxygen to the tissues, which is responsible for respiratory distress. A bluish skin might be indicative of a lack of oxygen. Newborn babies often take some hours to learn how to breathe properly and, once the course of normal breathing is established, the bluish discoloration must disappear. If grunting and bluish discoloration (of lips and skin) persist, then as parents, you need to check the situation with an experienced and qualified healthcare professional. There might be some serious reasons behind the respiratory distress among neonates which your doctor will explain to you.
6. Anaemia
Infants of anaemic mothers are the prominent victim of this health problem. It is a condition in which red blood cells are found to be lesser than normal, concerning the age of the infant. In simple medical terminology, anaemia is the lack of haemoglobin indicating a low level of oxygen in the blood than normal. A anaemic baby looks pale &every parent must give this situation a serious thought as anaemia left untreated might prove to be life-threatening for the concerned infants.
7. Fever or low body temperature
Fever or low body temperature are one of the most common health problems among newborns & is indicative of the situation that the child’s body is fighting against infection . Notwithstanding body temperature of more than 101 degree F & less than 96.5 degree F of your new born baby needs medical consultation.
8. Ear Infections
Ear infections are the most common occurrences in babies creating a big fuss for both the baby and the parents. When any baby develops an ear infection, he or she may tug at the infected ear. As for the primary causes behind it, infections, faulty feedings are the most common ones. Notwithstanding, bacterial infections tend to persist for a long and in some cases, they might be the cause of hearing loss too. Such infections are treated by administering antibiotics prescribed only by an experienced and qualified doctor.
Concluding Remarks
JNU is a top hospital in Jaipur offering world-class healthcare services. The hospital has become a home to some of the most eminent doctors in the world, and most of them are pioneers in their respective arenas. Get in touch with the hospital for more details.