Pneumonia in newborns refers to a dangerous disease of an infectious nature, which is not always diagnosed in a timely manner due to the small age of the patient. If the baby is sick for a long time and does not receive proper treatment, his chances of survival will be significantly reduced. It has been clinically proven that children who are faced with pneumonia in the newborn period and who have received complications will have problems with psychoemotional and physical development in the future.
Bilateral pneumonia
Pneumonia, according to the type of pathogen, is divided into fungal, bacterial, viral, rickettsial and mycoplasma .
The disease by the affected area is classified into:
- unilateral (only the left or right lung becomes inflamed);
- bilateral (the inflammatory process affects the entire lung);
- lobe (the lesion affects one of the lobes of the organ);
- segmental (can be both one-sided and two-sided);
- total.
Main reasons
Infection in the lungs
Distinguish between primary and secondary pneumonia. The primary type of disease appears from infection with viral microorganisms. The causes of secondary pneumonia lie in complications that develop due to other respiratory diseases (bronchitis, tonsillitis).
The disease in an infant can be part of the generalized sepsis syndrome, or manifest itself as an independent disease 5-7 days after birth. The baby can become infected both in the hospital and in the womb. According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, at birth, 0.5% of full-term and 10% of premature babies are faced with congenital pneumonia.
The risk of developing the disease in an infant increases if he receives inappropriate nutrition (insufficient or excessive), or is exposed to secondhand smoke (parents smoke with the child). Vitamin deficiency can also affect the onset of the disease.
Symptoms
Pneumonia in newborns is suspected if the baby has a deterioration in respiratory function. In this case, breathing occurs in an accelerated manner. In a healthy state, the pulse is related to the respiratory rate as 3: 1; in pneumonia, the ratio reaches 2: 1 or 1: 1. An increase in nasal discharge may also indicate the presence of a disease. In this case, the discharge may have an unusual consistency or color (brown, thick).
Fever in a newborn
Elevated body temperature, rising to 39-40 ° C, is not a permanent symptom accompanying pneumonia. With an atypical form of the disease, the child has a subfebrile temperature. In addition, children under the age of one year have imperfections in the immune system, which can affect body temperature. It can remain in normal values even in acute forms of pneumonia.
Often, with an illness, the skin in the area of \ u200b \ u200bthe lips and nose turns blue in infants. The baby may have a cough. This symptom manifests itself if the disease has developed against the background of complications of acute respiratory infections or if the virus affects not only the lungs, but also the bronchi. Coughing during pneumonia is often accompanied by sputum discharge, which may include blood spots. The child may experience chest pains and headaches.
Signs of illness in newborns may have latent symptoms. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully monitor the secondary symptoms of the disease. Apathy, refusal to milk, impaired swallowing and sucking functions, frequent regurgitation, restless sleep and low muscle tone may indicate the development of pneumonia.
Diagnostics
Listening to the lungs
Only a doctor can determine this disease. When examining and palpating the chest, listening to noises, the doctor can reveal the etiology of the disease. To detect pneumonia, other signs are diagnosed: respiratory rate, respiratory failure (shortness of breath, participation in breathing of auxiliary muscles). To make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor often makes recommendations for an X-ray. An X-ray picture will tell about the pathogenesis of the disease.
Which doctor to contact
Having found the first signs of pneumonia, you must immediately call a pediatric therapist. In addition to the pediatrician, the child must be examined by an otolaryngologist and pulmonologist.
What tests need to be passed
There are times when it is difficult to identify the cause of the disease by X-ray. Therefore, the doctor additionally prescribes tests for the causative agent of the disease and for the release of antibodies to the pathogen. A mandatory analysis is a sputum test. It can contain several potential infections. A clinical blood test will help to identify the disease, in which an underestimated level of hemoglobin, leukocytosis, neutrophilia and an increase in ESR (20 mm / h or more) will be detected .
Treatment
Inpatient treatment
Children under 1 year of age, regardless of the manifestations of the disease, are treated only in a medical institution. In a severe course of the disease, as well as in the presence of complications, the child is sent to the intensive care unit. After stabilizing his health, he is transferred to the ward for a joint stay with his mother.
Untreated acute stage of pneumonia can become chronic, lasting up to 6 months.
Treatment consists of taking broad-spectrum antibiotics. The effectiveness of the drug is evaluated after 2 days. If, after taking the drug, the child shows improvements in his condition (a decrease in body temperature to normal limits, a weakening of the general symptoms of pneumonia), treatment continues. When no improvement in the patient’s well-being is found, the doctor recommends another drug.
According to medical practice, the most effective drugs in the treatment of pneumonia in children are antibiotics of the macrolide and cephalosporin groups. The use of sulfonamides, amoxicillins is acceptable. Tetracyclines are used in rare cases when the disease is accompanied by dangerous complications, and other drugs are ineffective.
Roxithromycin drug
Macrolides ( Roxithromycin ) are prescribed for babies who get an infection during fetal development . The drug is administered orally. When the therapy makes the baby vomit, antibiotics are given parenterally.
A feature of the effect of antibiotics is their negative effect on the beneficial microflora of the body. Together with pathogenic microbes, antibiotics also eliminate bacteria necessary for the body. This provokes an upset gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, when using antibiotics, you must remember to restore the necessary microflora. For these purposes, the doctor recommends taking probiotics. In young children, an elevated body temperature can trigger seizures. In order to avoid such cases, it is necessary to resort to the help of antipyretic drugs.
An important point for the survival of the newborn during the treatment period is proper nutrition and care.
Duration of therapy
The duration of the course of treatment for newborns (0-2 months) is on average 14 to 28 days.
Failure to comply with the rules for taking the medication can harm children’s health or localize the entire therapeutic result. At the first sign of improvement, the drug is not stopped. To fully heal a newborn, it is important to complete the full course of therapy.
Forecast
In 95% of cases, doctors promise a favorable prognosis. The disease can be quickly cured, provided that it is detected early. A great danger to life is pneumonia in newborns born prematurely. The mortality rate of premature babies due to pneumonia is up to 20%.
The chances of a quick recovery are reduced if pneumonia develops against the background of streptococci, staphylococci and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This disease is often aggravating. Complications can be avoided if the child is given timely treatment.
After being discharged from the hospital, babies are examined by a pediatric pediatrician once a week for up to six months, and after that – 2 times a month.
Prophylaxis
Quitting smoking during pregnancy
Primary prevention of pneumonia includes a healthy lifestyle for parents and giving up bad habits, not only after childbirth, but also during pregnancy. Tobacco smoking can cause irreparable damage to the health of the fetus and provoke the development of the disease. After birth, it is necessary to feed children according to their age needs, and also pay special attention to tempering procedures. It will not be superfluous for future parents to listen to a lecture on the prevention of pneumonia in infants by the method of immunization.
For preventive purposes, after treatment, the child needs rehabilitation in a sanatorium. In addition, the baby is assigned a regime with the maximum possible stay in the fresh air. Parents need to massage the newborn with a gradual increase in physical activity on the muscles. If necessary, drug rehabilitation can be prescribed. Physiotherapy is acceptable.
Possible consequences
Inflammation of the lungs in infants can provoke severe forms of the disease and pass to other organs. Frequent consequences of pneumonia in a child are the ingress of air into the pleura and pleurisy. The consequences of the disease can affect other organs and systems of the body, which will provoke the development of meningitis, heart failure, pericarditis, sepsis, and blood clotting disorders.