What are the most common symptoms of infection in newborns?

Newborn babies are called neonates. As we all know, since the organs of newborns are not fully developed, their body resistance is very weak. Generally speaking, if a newborn is infected, it will have a great impact on the child's health. In fact, if parents can learn more about the symptoms of neonatal infection, it is very important for timely detection and prevention of neonatal diseases. So what are the most common symptoms of neonatal infection?

What are the symptoms of bacterial infection in newborns?

Most intrauterine and intrapartum bacterial infections in newborns occur within 7 days, while most postnatal infections occur within 7 days or later.

1. Systemic symptoms: often no specific manifestations, often confused with other diseases, such as respiratory system and nervous system diseases. It generally manifests itself as:

① Mental state: There may be brief irritability, which may then turn into weak reaction, drowsiness, weak crying, or even coma.

② Complexion: dark, yellow, blue, white or purple in severe cases.

③ Sucking: The sucking force weakens, the amount of milk sucked is small, and even milk refusal occurs. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are common.

④ Activity: The baby cries and moves a lot when upset, but soon becomes less active or even stops moving.

⑤ Body temperature: A few may have fever, but most have normal or low body temperature, and the temperature fluctuation does not exceed 1°C within 24 hours. The body temperature of premature, low-birth-weight and seriously ill babies does not rise, and they may also have hard swelling and low temperature in their hands and feet.

⑥ Weight: No increase or decrease.

⑦ Peripheral circulation: Poor peripheral circulation, dark and mottled skin, it takes more than 2 seconds for the abdominal skin to return to its original color, and cold hands and feet.

⑦ Jaundice: The skin is yellow and dark gray.

2. Local symptoms: Careful examination may reveal local lesions, which are commonly found in the navel, skin, ears, nail grooves, eyes, mouth, or birth injury sites. Also pay attention to visceral diseases, such as lung, liver, meningitis, urinary tract infection, birth canal infection, etc.

Nursing methods for newborns after infection

1. Reasonable nutrition. The nutritional requirements of the neonatal period are high, but the digestive and metabolic functions are limited. Therefore, nutrition should be sufficient to ensure the needs of growth and development, but the baby should not be overfed so as not to put too much burden on the gastrointestinal tract of the newborn. Proper nutrition has the most decisive influence on enhancing physical fitness and resistance.

2. Breastfeeding. Breast milk contains more immune active substances than formula. It can provide all the nutrients needed by newborns: protein, fat, lactose, vitamins, iron, and especially breast milk contains anti-infection antibodies (immunoglobulins) and active anti-infection white blood cells, bifidobacterial factors, lysozyme, etc., which can enhance the immune function, prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, and reduce the baby's chance of infection.

3. Vaccination. Although neonates receive some antibodies from their mothers' immunoglobulins, they are still highly susceptible to many infectious diseases. Vaccination is an effective way to resist germs. Early and effective vaccination can prevent the occurrence of infectious diseases that are most harmful to newborns, such as tuberculosis and hepatitis B.

4. Newborn massage. While massaging, the baby's muscles throughout the body are also activated, making the body develop more robustly. In addition, skin stimulation has direct and indirect effects on enhancing immune function, which is beneficial to the healthy physical and mental development of newborns.