by TinyHeartsHQ | Jun 15, 2022 | Health
DEFINITION
Cord; A slender flexible anatomical structure (as a nerve) that connects the fetus to the mother.
During pregnancy it supplies nutrients and oxygen to your developing baby. After birth, the umbilical cord is no longer needed, so it is clamped and snipped and this leaves behind a short stump.
The newborns umbilical cord stump typically falls off withtin about 1 to 3weeks after birth.
CORD CARE
Keep the stump Clean; Parents are adviced to keep stump clean and avoid covering with dirty clothing or touching with dirty hands to avoid infection of the stump.
Keep the stump dry; Expose the stump to air to help dry out the base. Keep front of your baby’s diaper folded down to avoid covering the stump, hence affecting healing and falling off.
Stick with sponge baths; Sponge baths makes it easier to keep the stump dry.
P/S; There’s really no harm in getting the stump wet.
Let the stump fall off on its own; Resist the temptation to pull off the stump yourself as this might cause pain or hemorrhage (bleeding) to the child
Keep the stump clamped (air tight); To prevent air and other foreign bodies from passing through into the abdomen
During the healing process, it is typical to see a little blood near the stump. Much like a scab, the cord stump might bleed a little when it falls off.
However, contact your baby’s health care provider (pediatrician) if the umbilical area oozes pus, the surrounding skin becomes red and swollen, or the area develops a pink moist bump. These could be signs of an umbilical cord infection.
Prompt treatment is needed to stop the infection from spreading.
Also, talk to your baby’s health care provider (pediatrician) if the stump still hasn’t separated after 3 weeks. This might be a sign of an underlying problem, such as an infection or immune system disorder.
CONCLUSION
Cord care is very important in the newborn as the babies system immune system is very fragile so sources of infections should be reduced to the bearest minimum.
Also the newborn has about 500mls of blood, hence hemorrhage(bleeding) or blood loss can alter the hemodynamic state of the newborn.
Care should be taken as the cord is a very vital organ and the newborn period is also very vital so once any abnormalty is observed, a pediatrician should be contacted as soon as possible.
REFERENCES
Merriam-webster.com
Mayoclinic.org
Jpeds.com
By
Dr Allison Ondimiekumo Rollins jnr
by TinyHeartsHQ | Jun 15, 2022 | Health
INTRODUCTION
DEFINITION; This is a complex mix of physical, emotional and behavioural changes that happen in some women after giving birth. According to the DSM-5, a manual used to diagnose mental disorders, postpartum depression is a form of major depression that begins within 4 weeks after delivery.
Postpartum depression may be mistaken for baby blues at first- but the signs and symptoms are more intense and last longer while the baby blue typically begin within the first 2-3 days after delivery and may last up to 2 weeks. The symptoms of baby blue symptoms will commonly include; mood swings, crying spells, anxiety and difficulty sleeping.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
Postpartum depression signs and symptoms may include;
Depressed mood or severe mood swings
Excessive crying
Difficulty bonding with your baby
Withdrawing from family and friends
Loss of appetite or eating much more than usual
Inability to sleep (insomnia) or sleeping too much
Overwhelming fatigue or loss of energy
Reduced interest and pleasure in activities you used to enjoy
Intense irritability and anger
Hopelessness
Feelings of worthlessness, shame, guilt or inadequacy
Diminished ability to think clearly, concentrate or make decisions
Restlessness
Severe anxiety and panic attacks
Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby
Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
DIAGNOSIS
The diagnosis of postpartum depression is based not only on the length of time between delivery and onset but on the severity of depression.
TREATMENT
Postpartum depression can be treated with medications (anxiolitics) and counseling
WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR
If you are feeling depressed after your baby’s birth, you may be reluctant or embarrassed to admit it. Call your doctor and schedule an appointment if you experience any of the signs and symptoms or if the signs and symptoms have any of these features;
Do not fade after 2weeks
Getting worse
Make it hard for you to care for your baby
Make it hard complete everyday tasks
Include thoughts of harming yourself or your baby
Untreated, postpartum depression may last for many months or longer
POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION IN MEN
Also called Paternal post partum depression, has similar signs and symptoms as the female.
Some of the risk factors include;
New fathers
Young fathers
Having relationship problems
Struggling financially
Treatment and support is similar to maternal postpartum depression
COMPLICATIONS
insomnia
Psychosis
Suicidal thoughts
Death
CONCLUSION
The postpartum period is a very important period in the mother, father and child. So care should be taken to prevent depression in any of these groups.
The health care providers should be contacted adequately to prevent some of these complications; Psychosis, Eating Disorder, Death etc.
REFERENCES
Mayoclinic.org
Webmd.com
By
Dr Aliison Ondimiekumo Rollins jnr (MBBS NDU)
by TinyHeartsHQ | Jun 15, 2022 | Health
DEFINITION
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as cot death or crib death, is a sudden unexplained death of a child of less than one year of age. SIDS is a diagnosis of exclusion and should be applied to only those cases in which an infant’s death is sudden and unexpected, and remains unexplained after the performance of an adequate postmortem investigation.
The term SUDI (sudden unexpected death in infancy) is now often used instead of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) because some coroners prefer to use the term ‘undetermined’ for a death previously considered to be SIDS. This change is causing diagnostic shift in the mortality data.
CAUSES
In most cases causes are unknown, parents or caregivers places the baby down to sleep and returns later to find the baby died. SIDS is no one’s fault and can happen even when you do everything right.
Researchers are studying the possibility that SIDS may be caused by problems with how well the brain controls breathing, heart rate and rhythm, and temperature during the first few months of life.
RISK FACTORS
Divided into 2; Mother and the Baby factors
The Mother Factors;
Mothers younger than 20 years old
Women who smokes or vapes during pregnancy
Use of drugs or alcohol during pregnancy
Women who have not had antenatal care
Baby Factors;
Prematurity
Low birth weight
Poorly breastfed child
Part of a multiple pregnancy(for example, a twin or triplet)
Put down to bed on their stomach or side
In a bed on a soft surface or with loose blankets or pillows
Sharing a bed with parents, siblings, or pets
Dressed too warmly or in a very warm room
SYMPTOMS
SIDS has no symptoms or warning signs. Babies who die of SIDS seem healthy before beign put to bed. They show no signs of struggle and are often found in the same position as when they were placed in the bed.
DIAGNOSIS
SIDS is named the cause of death only when no other cause is found. To find out why a baby died, medical experts review the babys and parents medical histories, study the area where the baby died and do an autopsy.
PREVENTION
Reducing the risk factors for both mother and baby
Pacifier
Breatsfeeding
Immunization
Good bedroom ventilation
Good tempearture regulation
Do not smoke or drink alcohol during pregnancy
Do not lie babies on thier tummy
Never sleep with a baby on a couch or armchair
Early and adequate treatment of diseases
CONCLUSION
All life is precious and as such should be preserved, the period of birth to the first one year of life is a very critical period for babies. Adequate care and caution should be taken not to expose or predispose the child to harmful substances and conditions that could lead to the death of the baby.
REFERENCES
Wikipedia.org
Cigna.com
By
Dr Allison Ondimiekumo Rollins jnr
