What Are the Most Common Neonatal Infections?

Neonatal infections are the main cause of increased neonatal morbidity and mortality. In particular, intrauterine infections caused by viruses not only cause neonatal infections, but also cause malformations and severe long-term effects. Three important aspects of neonatal infection include: host, pathogen, and route of transmission. All three aspects of the neonatal period are unique.

Neonatal infection

Overview of neonatal infections

Neonatal infections are the main cause of increased neonatal morbidity and mortality. In particular, intrauterine infections caused by viruses not only cause neonatal infections, but also cause malformations and severe long-term effects. Three important aspects of neonatal infection include: host, pathogen, and route of transmission. All three aspects of the neonatal period are unique.

Clinical manifestations of neonatal infections

Clinical symptoms are related to the number of pathogens, virulence, invasive routes, neonatal gestational age, weight, nutritional status, gender, immune status, and other complications. Most intrauterine and postpartum infections develop within 7 days, and most postnatal infections develop within 7 days and later.

1, systemic symptoms: often without specific manifestations, often confused with other diseases, such as respiratory and neurological diseases. Roughly manifested as: mental state: may have a short period of irritability, and later turned into weak response, lethargy, weak crying and even coma; complexion: dark, yellow, blue, white or purple in severe cases; sucking: The sucking power is weakened, the amount of milk sucked is small, and even the milk is rejected. Frequent nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; Activity: Crying and hyperactivity during irritability, but very little or no movement soon; Body temperature: A few can have fever, but most of them are normal or lower, and body temperature fluctuations within 24 hours do not exceed 1 ° C. Premature, low birth weight, and severely ill children do not rise in body temperature, but also swollen, low temperature of hands and feet; weight: do not rise or fall; Peripheral circulation: poor peripheral circulation, dark skin, flowering, finger pressure abdominal skin It takes more than 2 seconds to restore the original complexion, cold hands and feet; jaundice: the skin is yellow and dark gray.

2. Local Symptoms: Local lesions can be found on closer inspection, which are usually the umbilicus, skin, ears, fingernail (toe) nail groove, eyes, oral cavity, or part of the wound. Also pay attention to visceral lesions, such as lung, liver, meningitis, urinary tract infections, birth canal infections, and so on. ^[1]

Neonatal infection laboratory test

1. Pathogen inspection: It can be used for bacterial culture, specific antigen detection, and smear microscopy of infectious fluid. The pathogen should be identified as early as possible for effective treatment. Specimens can be taken from blood, urine, gastritis, local secretions from infection, pharynx or sputum, external auditory canal fluid, etc.

2. Blood routine: Common leukocytes increase more than 25 × 10 ^ 9 / L, or decrease (<0.5 × 10 ^ 9 / L), and neutrophils exceed 0.1-0.7 × 10 ^ 9 / L. Also pay attention to whether there is vacuole degeneration and toxic particles in neutrophils, or whether phagocytic bacteria can be found in leukocytes.

3. Immune antibody detection: Dynamic changes of specific immune antibodies IgM, IgG to infer pathogens. Antibodies in body fluids can also be detected with known antibodies. Or use PCR technology to find DNA fragments of specific pathogens.

4. Others: such as B ultrasound, X-ray examination, cerebrospinal fluid test, etc.

Georgson CD (2001) reported that natural killer cells (NK cells) were significantly lower in neonatal sepsis or recurrent infections than in those without infection (P <0.001).

Buscher U (2000) reported that IL1, IL6, IL8, and GCSF (granulocyte colony stimulating factor) tests were performed on 240 newborns' cord blood, while the newborns were followed up and had a placental histological examination for a total of 195 The results showed that 13 cases of neonatal infection (5.4%), and 35 cases (17.9%) of chorioamnionitis diagnosed by placenta examination. The results showed that IL1 and IL6 increased in the cord blood of chorioamnionitis by 2.8 pg / ml and 12.8pg / ml were significantly higher than those without inflammation (P <0.05 and 0.005). In neonates with early-onset infection, only IL6 increased in cord blood, reaching 16.0 pg / ml, which was significantly higher than that of those without infection (13.2 pg / ml) (P <0.05). Cord blood IL6 is considered to be a predictive indicator of early-onset neonatal infection. ^[1]

Neonatal infections neonatal infections care

1. The immune system is not mature enough and its functions are not perfect.

2. The newborn has not been exposed to various pathogens in the extrauterine environment, and has not been exposed to a wide range of antigenic substances such as food proteins.

3. During pregnancy, it is affected by the mother's antibodies that pass through the placenta, so that the newborn has a physiologically low immunity.

So, how to enhance the immunity of the newborn and reduce the chance of the baby getting sick?

Option 1: Reasonable nutrition

Nutrient requirements are high during neonatal period, but digestive and metabolic functions are limited. Therefore, it is necessary to require sufficient amount of nutrition to ensure the growth and development, and not to overfeed, so as not to cause an excessive burden on the gastrointestinal tract of the newborn. Proper grasp of reasonable nutrition has the most decisive effect on enhancing physical fitness and resistance.

Daily intake of balanced nutrition can meet the needs of the body and improve immunity. Protein is the main component of immune cells and antibodies. For example, lack of protein will cause a decline in immune function. Vitamin C stimulates the body to make interferons. Supplementing enough vitamins can increase antibodies, remove viruses and bacteria, and thus enhance immunity. Others such as folic acid, vitamin B12, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, iron, zinc, and enzymes in carotene and nutrients are also related to immunity.

Option 2: breastfeeding

Breast milk contains more immunoactive substances than milk substitutes. It can provide all the nutrients needed by newborns: protein, fat, lactose, vitamins, iron, especially breast milk contains anti-infective antibodies (immunoglobulins) and anti-infective agents. Infected active leukocytes, bifidus factors, lysozymes, etc., they can enhance immune function, prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, and reduce the chance of infection of the baby.

Option 3: Vaccination

Although the immunoglobulin from the mother provides some antibodies during the neonatal period, it is still a highly susceptible person for many infectious diseases. Vaccination is an effective method to combat germs, and early and effective vaccination can be used to prevent the occurrence of infectious diseases that are most harmful to newborns, such as tuberculosis and hepatitis B.

Option 4: Newborn Massage

Massage is a series of benign reactions of the nervous, endocrine and immune systems of the system through mild sensory stimulation of the newborn's skin, which can promote the secretion of gastrointestinal hormones, help increase children's food intake, and promote food digestion, absorption and excretion. Accelerate weight gain. The massage also activates your baby's whole body muscles to make your body more robust. In addition, skin irritation has direct and indirect effects on enhancing immune function, which is beneficial to the physical and mental development of newborns.

Enhance the resistance of newborns and reduce the chance of infection for babies. In addition to balanced and adequate nutrition, advocating breastfeeding, vaccination, and actively and effectively strengthening the body, the caregivers of the babies develop a good habit of washing hands frequently and strengthening indoor ventilation. It is also very important.