What are some common diseases in newborns?
Whether a newborn can safely spend the first 28 days of their life after coming from the most comfortable and warm “uterus” to the “very ordinary” human world is extremely important. In this article we will know some common diseases in newborns.
I. What is a newborn?
The period from umbilical cord ligation to 28 days after birth is called the neonatal period. Newborns are a continuation of the fetus and a fundamental stage of human development.
Newborns need to undergo many physiological adjustments to adapt to the complex and ever-changing living environment outside the mother’s body.
II. Why are newborns prone to diseases?
After being separated from the mother’s body, newborns need to undergo tremendous anatomical and physiological changes in order to adapt to the new environment outside the womb. However, the functions of various tissues and organs in newborns are not yet fully developed, resulting in poor adaptability and regulation to changes in the external environment, weak resistance, and susceptibility to various diseases. Moreover, their conditions can change rapidly, leading to a high morbidity and mortality rate.
Internationally, neonatal mortality rate and perinatal mortality rate are often used as standards to measure a country’s level of healthcare.
III. Some common diseases in newborns
1. Neonatal asphyxia
It is caused by fetal distress due to hypoxia or respiratory and circulatory disorders during delivery, resulting in no spontaneous breathing or failure to establish regular breathing within 1 minute after birth, leading to hypoxemia and mixed acidosis.
This disease is one of the leading causes of neonatal disability and death. The incidence rate in China is 5-10%.
2. Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
Neonatal asphyxia is a serious complication of hypoxia and reduced or stopped cerebral blood flow caused by various perinatal factors, resulting in brain damage in the fetus and newborn. It is a severe condition with a high mortality rate. A small number of survivors may develop permanent neurological defects such as intellectual disability, epilepsy, and cerebral palsy.
3. Neonatal intracranial hemorrhage
Primarily caused by hypoxia or birth injury, This is also one of a common diseases in newborns. It has a high incidence rate in premature infants and is a significant early neonatal disease and cause of death. The prognosis is poor.
4. Neonatal meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS)
This refers to the fetus inhaling amniotic fluid contaminated with meconium during utero or delivery, leading to mechanical obstruction and chemical inflammation of the respiratory tract and alveoli. Due to fetal hypoxia, it often results in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, intracranial hemorrhage, and other multi-system damage after birth. It is more common in full-term and post-term infants.
5. Neonatal hyaline membrane disease (HMD)
This is also one of a common diseases in newborns. Also known as neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS). It is more common in premature infants and is caused by a lack of pulmonary surfactant (PS). It is an important respiratory disease in the neonatal period.
The clinical presentation is progressive respiratory distress and respiratory failure shortly after birth. Pathological features of the lungs include a dark red appearance, eosinophilic hyaline membranes adhering to the alveolar walls and terminal bronchioles, and atelectasis.
6. Neonatal jaundice
This is also one of a common diseases in newborns. It is caused by the accumulation of bilirubin (mostly unconjugated bilirubin) in the body. There are many causes, including physiological and pathological ones. In severe cases, it can damage the central nervous system, causing bilirubin encephalopathy, which can lead to death or serious sequelae.
7. Neonatal hemolytic disease
This refers to hemolysis caused by blood type incompatibility between mother and baby, where maternal blood type antibodies cross the placenta into the fetal circulation, triggering an alloimmune reaction that destroys the fetal and neonatal red blood cells.
8. Neonatal infectious diseases
(1) Neonatal omphalitis.
(2) Neonatal sepsis.
(3) Neonatal infectious pneumonia.
(4) Neonatal tetanus.
(5) Neonatal cytomegalovirus infection.
(6) Neonatal syphilis.
9. Neonatal cold injury syndrome
This is also one of a common diseases in newborns. Neonatal cold injury, also known as neonatal sclerema, is mainly caused by exposure to cold. Its clinical features include low body temperature and multiple organ dysfunction. In severe cases, the skin and subcutaneous fat harden and edema occur, which is also known as neonatal sclerema (SN).
10. Necrotizing enterocolitis in newborns
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in newborns is an intestinal disease caused by various perinatal factors, typically developing within two weeks of birth and posing a serious threat to the newborn’s life. Its incidence has increased in recent years, and it is commonly seen in premature infants.
11. Neonatal hemorrhage
(1) Vitamin K deficiency hemorrhage .
(2) Thrombocytopenia.
(3) Hemophilia.
12. Neonatal glucose metabolism disorder
(1) Neonatal hypoglycemia.
(2) Neonatal hyperglycemia.
13. Neonatal hypocalcemia
Neonatal hypocalcemia is one of the common causes of neonatal seizures, mainly related to temporary physiological hypoparathyroidism.
Hypocalcemia is defined as a serum total calcium level below 1.8 mmol/L (7.0 mg/d) or a free calcium level below 0.9 mmol/L (3.5 mg/d).
14. Neonatal birth injury diseases
(1) Scalp hematoma.
(2) Clavicle fracture.
(3) Brachial plexus injury.
(4) Skin and soft tissue injury.
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