Recognizing a Sick Baby
Infants are funny. When they are awake, they are usually upset about something - hunger, a wet diaper - something. When they are asleep, they are peaceful. Healthy babies have lots of muscle tone, look toward voices, and respond when touched. Infants that are healthy have warm extremities and are pink. If you press on a toe the red color, capillary refill, returns almost immediately. In a word, healthy babies look and act healthy.
Sick babies are different. They have an abnormal breathing pattern with respiratory pauses. Tone is diminished and they may have a prolonged capillary refill. Sometimes infants that are septic will grunt when they breathe, creating auto peep. They may guard their abdomen if touched and their color may be grey rather than pink and rosy.
Some mistakenly think that a baby that is not fussing about something is a "good" baby. Many times these infants are tightly swaddled and the lack of racket is perceived as a positive thing. Sometimes these babies are very sick, as opposed to very good and you can't make that diagnosis if you don't look at the baby.
So, if there is any question in your mind about a baby, pull the blankets off and look at the breathing pattern, the tone, and the skin color. Feel the extremities, press on a toe. Pick the baby up and look at them. Sick babies look sick. They will tell you if there is a problem...but you have to look.
Rae Brown, MD
Sick babies are different. They have an abnormal breathing pattern with respiratory pauses. Tone is diminished and they may have a prolonged capillary refill. Sometimes infants that are septic will grunt when they breathe, creating auto peep. They may guard their abdomen if touched and their color may be grey rather than pink and rosy.
Some mistakenly think that a baby that is not fussing about something is a "good" baby. Many times these infants are tightly swaddled and the lack of racket is perceived as a positive thing. Sometimes these babies are very sick, as opposed to very good and you can't make that diagnosis if you don't look at the baby.
So, if there is any question in your mind about a baby, pull the blankets off and look at the breathing pattern, the tone, and the skin color. Feel the extremities, press on a toe. Pick the baby up and look at them. Sick babies look sick. They will tell you if there is a problem...but you have to look.
Rae Brown, MD
Comments
Post a Comment