3.6: Problems of the Newborn
- Page ID
- 233832
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Birth injuries occur for many reasons and can result in a variety of outcomes for the infant and their family as they grow into the preschool years.
Image Source: What is Anoxia/Lack of Oxygen? CPFamily Network Blog. CPFamilyNetwork.org
Anoxia and Hypoxia
Anoxia and hypoxia are among the most dangerous and life-affecting causes of birth injuries.
Anoxia is a temporary lack of oxygen to the brain and hypoxia refers to low levels of oxygen. Any type of oxygen deprivation around the time of birth can be devastating to the baby’s health and may cause brain damage and conditions like cerebral palsy and in severe cases, death may be the result.
Low Birth Weight
A child is considered low birth weight if he or she weighs less than 5 pounds 8 ounces or 2500 grams. Low birthweight births may be categorized into moderately low birthweight (1500-2499 grams or about 3 ½ - 5 ½ pounds) and very low birthweight (less than 1500 grams or 3 ⅓ pounds). About 1 in 12 babies in the United States are born with low birth weights. Premature or preterm births (before 37 weeks) are the main cause of low birth weight.
A baby with low birthweight has an underdeveloped body and may lack strength which makes it harder for them to eat, gain weight, and fight off infection. They also have trouble staying warm in normal temperatures.
Other complications include:
- low oxygen levels at birth
- breathing problems due to immature lungs (infant respiratory distress syndrome)
- neurologic problems, such as intraventricular hemorrhage (bleeding inside the brain)
- gastrointestinal problems, such as necrotizing enterocolitis (a serious disease of the intestine common in premature babies)
- sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Very low birth weight babies (2 pounds or less) have an increased risk of developing cerebral palsy. Babies who suffer both low birth weight and anoxia are more likely to suffer learning disabilities later in life as well.
Preterm
A newborn might also have a low birth weight if it is born at less than 37 weeks gestation, which qualifies it as a preterm baby (CDC, 2015c). Early birth can be triggered by anything that disrupts the mother's system. For instance, vaginal infections can lead to premature birth because such infection causes the mother to release anti-inflammatory chemicals which, in turn, can trigger contractions. Smoking and the use of other teratogens can lead to preterm birth. A significant consequence of preterm birth includes respiratory distress syndrome, which is characterized by weak and irregular breathing (see the image below). Premature babies often cannot yet regulate their own temperature or feed by nursing or bottle. They may struggle to regulate their heart rate effectively and may experience jaundice. They often require care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) until they are as healthy as a full-term baby.
Figure 3.11 - a premature baby on CPAP in the NICU.
Image Source: Jennifer Paris, used with permission.
Small-for-Date Infants
Infants that have birth weights that are below expectation based on their gestational age are referred to as small-for-date. These infants may be either full-term or preterm (see image below), but still weigh less than 90% of all babies of the same gestational age.
Most babies who are small for gestational age experienced a condition called intrauterine growth restriction that happen during pregnancy. This occurs when the unborn baby doesn’t get the required nutrients and oxygen they needed for the growth and development of their organs and tissues. This can begin at any point during pregnancy.
Chromosome problems in the baby are the cause of intrauterine growth restriction when it occurs early in pregnancy. It can also happens because of sever problems with the placents or disease in the mother,or severe problems with the placenta. Growth restriction is called late onset if it happens after week 32 of the pregnancy. It is usually related to other problems.
This is a very serious situation for newborns as their growth was adversely affected. Small-for- date infants died at rates more than four times higher than other infants.
Figure 3.12 - This baby was born at 32 weeks and only weighed 2 pounds and 15 ounces.
Image Source: Jennifer Paris, used with permission.
Postmature
When babies are not born by 42 weeks gestation, or two weeks after their due date, they are considered overdue or postmature. There are some concerns about how long the placenta can function and most doctors will consider induction for overdue babies.
Stillborn
When a fetus (unborn baby) dies while still inside the mother (after 20-24 weeks gestation) or dies during delivery (childbirth). It is said that the delivered baby is stillborn. The causes of many stillbirths are unknown, even when special tests are done to learn the cause. Possible causes include nicotine, alcohol, or drugs taken by the mother during pregnancy, physical trauma, radiation poisoning, Rh disease, and umbilical cord problems. The number of stillbirths in the United States is about 1 in 115 births, which is about 26,000 a year, or one every 20 minutes.
Source
- Lally, Martha and Suzanne Valentine-French. Lifespan Development: A Psychological Perspective. (Page 63). Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0