Health Issues that Might Affect Your Newborn

Once you leave the comfort of the hospital and head home with your bundle of joy, the complete burden of caring for the newborn is all up to you. So every mother should have a basic understanding of what can go wrong, how to pick up on disease symptoms and what to do at such times. As long as you are in touch with a good paediatrician, you won’t have to worry too much. This article gives you details on some common health issues for babies.

Colic
This is an umbrella term for any hard, persistent crying. It’s so very common among babies, even the fully healthy ones. About as much as 80% of infants are thought to be afflicted. Usually, colic begins after the second week and diminishes around three months. It is a condition which drives new parents up the wall, because they are not sure how to deal with it. It becomes a health issue because colic babies tend to cry more and feed less.

Because of the intense action of the baby, it is sometimes called a ‘colic seizure’. Right after an early evening feeding (or in the middle of it), the baby will fidget with discomfort and screech for few hours nonstop. It will clench its little fist and its face will go red with the effort but there will be no stopping a colic baby, not even cooing, rocking, burping or feeding. Later in the night, maybe after a feed, the baby might fall asleep. 

The next morning everything will appear normal, until the early evening, when the cycle repeats. A colic baby is not abnormal in any way and will have a regular development. The only negative is the effect it will have on the parents, who will probably lose weeks of sleep. Colic can be the response to overfeeding, underfeeding, a milk allergy, an infection or tummy problems or maybe it’s just the fussy nature of the baby.

Diaper rash
This too is common and the baby can get this no matter how careful you are. Tightly fitting diapers, too much ammonia in baby’s urine, bacterial or yeast infection, an allergic reaction, soaps or detergents or an unsuitable fabric can cause this.

Do not waste any time to change the diaper after a bowel movement. Wash the area with a wet cloth, before you dress the baby in a new diaper. Make sure the area is dried or infection can occur (newborns are usually protected against infection). If the baby’s skin is too dry, use a mild lotion.

If a rash has developed, use a drying lotion or a zinc oxide ointment on it. If the rash persists more than 3 days, call the doctor.

Prickly heat
This is a concern in hot, humid regions. When the baby is hot or sweating, raised pink marks appear, typically around the neck and shoulders. It can be treated by applying a thick coating of cornstarch powder. Keep the baby cool and dry.