Babies – Fernandez Hospital

Care of Preterm Babies

August 10, 2017February 5, 2018 Fernandez Hospital Leave a comment

Preterm babies or premature babies are those born before the completion of 37 weeks. Such babies are also known as preemies and the risk of complications in such cases is often very high. So, it is very essential to take proper preterm care of such babies.

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Special Care of Preterm Babies

Babies born prematurely are not fully developed to deal with the outside world. They find it difficult to cope with the new environment in comparison to fully developed babies. When a baby is born before the expected date, the digestive system, immune system, lungs, skin etc remain undeveloped. These complications are addressed in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) where the advanced medical facilities have made their survival possible and helps in developing their body organs. When the baby surpasses the danger line, he/she is allowed to be taken home.

Caring of Preterm Babies at Home

When your premature baby is at home, you should always be alert and take proper care of the baby. In many ways, caring for a premature baby and caring for a developed baby is same. But there are some special precautions which should be taken. The following will be helpful for your preterm baby to have a healthy development.

Spend quality time with your baby so that you get to know how the baby is adjusting with the new environment and responding to everyday things.

Keep your baby neat and clean by giving him a bath and using damp cotton balls to clean face, neck and bottom. Change the diapers from time to time and keep the surrounding areas hygienic, so that your baby does not suffer from any kind of infections.
Make sure to keep your baby dry; each time your baby becomes wet, dry him/her off with a dry cotton cloth.
Always take proper care to keep your baby warm with the help of blankets, sleep suit or zip-up sleeping bag and adjusting the temperature of your room. Make sure that the temperature is safe for your baby.
Feed your baby from time to time so that he/she doesn’t remain hungry.
Help your baby to get proper sleep as it helps in keeping him full of energy and active.

Conclusion

Taking proper care of your preterm baby and consulting your doctor from time to time will let the baby develop in a healthy way. For the first few months, take extra care of your premature baby as per your doctor’s advice so that the baby copes normally with the new environment.

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http://americanpregnancy.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4ngP3ITqzY

Detecting Baby’s Heartbeat on Ultrasound

April 25, 2017February 5, 2018 Fernandez Hospital Leave a comment

From the time you conceive till the birth of the child, your body undergoes different changes. One of the many processes going on is the development of the baby. This is quite a delicate process — the time sperm and egg meet, to the formation of the baby, till its development.

Pregnancy and Ultrasound Scans

Ultrasound scans are performed at different stages of pregnancy to check the health of the baby along with other essential information like growth of the baby, any abnormality, placental position etc. They also help in letting the doctor know if the pregnant woman is carrying a single child or more. Ultrasound scans are tests done with the help of sound waves that provide visual images of the baby along with the placenta, uterus and other organs.

Detection of Baby’s Heartbeat

As every woman is different from another, so is their pregnancy. So, the time of detecting the baby’s heartbeat also varies. But, in general, by the beginning of the sixth week, the heartbeat of the baby is visible by doing an ultrasound scan. At this stage, the heartbeat is just like a flicker on the chest of the baby. However, in some cases, you may not see the heartbeat by the sixth week. But there is nothing to worry about. The normal heart rate of a baby at the beginning is around 90 to 110 beats per 60 seconds.

When the embryonic heartbeat is detected on the sixth week, it indicates that your pregnancy is safe and there is a little chance of miscarriage. In pregnancies, where the embryonic heartbeat is not detected in this period, the mothers-to-be are required to do another scan after 3 to 5 days. As the pregnancy progresses i.e. on the 9^th week, the average heartbeat of the foetus would be around 120 to 160 beats per 60 seconds.

Images Courtesy:

http://americanpregnancy.org/

http://www.livestrong.com/

Managing food allergies and intolerances in babies

June 23, 2016February 6, 2018 Fernandez Hospital Leave a comment

Food allergies and intolerances in babies have become quite common and almost 1 in 12 babies suffer from them. So, it is very essential for mothers to take proper care of their babies regarding food. Your baby can have food allergies if you have a family history of food allergy, hay fever, asthma or eczema.

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What is food allergy?

Food allergies in babies occur when their immune system has an adverse reaction to harmless proteins in food and produces antibodies. The immune system responds to the food as toxic. It occurs immediately or after some time of having food.

Allergy-To-Milk-Protein

Symptoms of food allergy:

Redness on skin and dermatitis
Nasal congestion
Itchy eyes and mouth
Vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps
Swollen face and eyelids
Swollen tongue and lips
Frequent crying and distress
Persistent cough, difficulty in swallowing, wheezing, shortness of breath and hoarse voice is called anaphylaxis, a severe and life-threatening food allergy

The most common foods that causes allergy in babies are:

Milk
Egg
Peanut

What is food intolerance?

Food intolerance in babies is caused by some substance present in the food they eat. It is not caused by the immune system responding to the food. Often, food intolerance occurs after two days of having the intolerance prone substance in food.

Symptoms of food intolerance:

Skin redness and dermatitis
Constipation
Diarrhoea
Stomach pain
Vomiting

The most common form of food intolerance that occurs in babies are:

Milk or lactose intolerance
Some react to strawberries
Tomato can also cause food intolerance

Food allergies and intolerances in babies can be controlled in the following ways:

Avoid the food: It is very important to avoid the food that causes allergies and intolerance in your baby. So, you should be aware of these foods. Carefully read the food labels and see if words like ‘whey’, ‘casein’ etc. are there. Presence of such words means, having the product can lead to allergies.
Have an emergency plan: Parents should speak to their doctor to give them an emergency plan which will help them to recognise allergies and intolerances and if medical attention is needed or no

Diagnosing food allergies or intolerances

If you find that your baby is having a food allergy or intolerance and not getting better, you should always consult your doctor. If the allergies and intolerances are not mild, they will be cured by taking the prescribed medicines. Some tests may need to be done, as well. As mothers breastfeed their babies, they should not eat the foods that causes allergies and intolerances during the pregnancy and breasting period.

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http://weaningbaby.co.uk/

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