How soon can cerebral palsy be detected in preterm babies
How soon can cerebral palsy be detected in preterm babies, Preterm babies are different from normal newborns in that they are more fragile and therefore they need more care. So, in daily life, for the newborn care should focus on attention, the following how long does it take to find cerebral palsy in preterm babies.
How long does it take to detect cerebral palsy in preterm babies1
In general, the early signs of cerebral palsy can be seen gradually around 6 months after birth, and the diagnosis of cerebral palsy is relatively cautious, with the majority of children diagnosed with cerebral palsy around the age of 1-1.5 years.
The diagnosis of cerebral palsy takes time, and it is recommended that regular neurological assessment of the child be done from the 40th week of pregnancy. Neurological assessment evaluates the child's neurodevelopment in a number of ways, such as gross motor, fine motor, language, socialization, and adaptive skills, and can be used to confirm that the child has or does not have cerebral palsy. In general, the early signs of cerebral palsy can be seen around 6 months after birth.
In particularly severe cases, the child may have increased muscle tone at a very young age and the prognosis is poor. In most children, cerebral palsy-related signs, such as lagging gross motor development, may begin to appear gradually from about 6 months after birth, and the presence of cerebral palsy can usually be more clearly recognized around the age of one year.
Premature babies themselves are at high risk for cerebral palsy because of their growth and developmental deficits. In addition to this, preterm babies may have some oxygen deprivation during the birth process, and often after birth, the child's neurodevelopment can be affected by a variety of illnesses, such as infectious diseases, jaundice, or a variety of related problems.
The diagnosis of cerebral palsy is made relatively cautiously, and most children can be diagnosed with cerebral palsy around the age of 1-1.5 years. Of course, active follow-up can be done before then, with regular monitoring as early as possible to detect problems and intervene early.
The organ systems of preterm babies are not very well developed, so the main concern in care is to pay attention to feeding, and at the same time pay attention to preventing infections. In terms of diet, it is recommended that breastfeeding, breastfeeding can improve the baby's resistance, is conducive to the growth and development of the baby.
How long does it take to detect cerebral palsy in preterm babies2Feeding preterm babies
Any newborn with a gestational age of less than 37 weeks (less than 259 days), regardless of birth weight, is known as a preterm baby (or immature baby).
Nutrition and feeding of preterm infants: At present, the community is paying more and more attention to this issue. In general, early feeding is advocated to shorten the duration or reduce the degree of physiologic weight loss, reduce the incidence of hypoglycemia and reduce blood bilirubin concentrations. In general, sugar water is fed 6-12 hours after birth and breastfeeding 24 hours after birth. For mothers who are light weight or in poorer health, such as those with previous cyanosis, respiratory distress, or surgical delivery, feedings may be delayed appropriately and the baby may be given intravenous fluids.
Feeding method: varies according to the maturity of the preterm baby. For those with heavier birth weight and good sucking reflexes, they can be fed directly, otherwise, they can be fed by dropper or gastrostomy tube. The intake depends on the birth weight and maturity of the preterm infant. You can refer to the formula for calculating the intake for preterm infants:
Daily breastfeeding for preterm infants within the first 10 days of life (ml) = number of days of infant's full birth + 10 days) * weight in grams
Daily breastfeeding for infants after the 10th day of life (ml) = 1/5-1/4 of the weight in grams
The above The intake is the maximum intake. If the preterm baby cannot finish it, the rest can be supplemented intravenously to ensure protein, calories and water supply.
Feeding intervals: These can be scheduled according to the formula and the infant's weight. For those weighing less than 1000 grams, they should be fed every hour. 1001 ~ 1500 grams should be fed every 1.5 hours; 1501 ~ 2000 grams should be fed every 2 hours; 2001 ~ 2500 grams should be fed every 3 hours. For other specific cases should be handled separately.
Vitamins: Preterm infants are deficient in vitamin E and are prone to hemolytic anemia. Preterm infants absorb less fat than mature infants and may be deficient in fat-soluble vitamins and other nutrients. Whether preterm infants should be formula-fed or breast-fed is a question that still needs to be investigated. In short, nutrition for preterm infants should be individualized. Nutrition should be carefully considered on an individual basis due to different circumstances and individual differences.
The nutritional needs of preterm infants are an issue that has been discussed and researched, and include the following factors:
Inorganic salts: preterm infants need more than mature infants because the last stage of the fetus is the stage of increase in inorganic salts, such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron, and preterm infants who are less than a month old will have a deficiency of inorganic salts in their bodies.
Calories: It is generally accepted that preterm babies need more calories than mature babies, 110 to 150 kilocalories per kilogram of body weight per day. Because the lungs of preterm infants do more work breathing than mature infants, but have a lower absorption capacity than mature infants, it is best to start with a slightly lower calorie supply. Gradually increase according to the situation.
Protein: Mature infants consume 6 ~ 7% of their total calories from breast milk, whereas preterm infants consume 10% of their total calories, which is higher than mature infants.
Amino acids: Normal infants have 9 essential amino acids, while preterm infants have 11. Because preterm infants lack the relevant converting enzyme, thus methionine can not be converted to cystine, and phenylalanine can not be converted to tyrosine. Cystine and tyrosine are essential amino acids, so they must be obtained from food.
Why is it difficult to raise a premature baby
Premature babies, as the name implies, are born earlier than the due date. Such babies leave the mother's body on which they depend for their lives before they are mature, and they leave the familiar environment of nutrition and temperature, and therefore face the risk of hidden illness, disability, and death. Premature babies are difficult to raise because they are born with nine deficiencies:
1. Maintaining Body Temperature
Premature babies come out of the womb as a result of underdevelopment, so the body does not have a good thermoregulatory mechanism, and the fat is thin, making it difficult to preserve body temperature, and the premature babies' own metabolism is slow, and their muscle activity is low, which also leads to their The slow metabolism and low muscle activity of preterm infants also lead to their inability to produce heat efficiently, resulting in low body temperature. The sweat glands of preterm infants are not well developed, and when the outside temperature is too high, the preterm infants can't expel the body heat normally, resulting in fever.
2. Normal breathing
The respiratory system of preterm babies is underdeveloped, and their breathing is too shallow, too fast-paced, and there is intermittent stopping of breathing. Preterm babies cry weakly and feebly, the expansion of the lung lobes is incomplete, and preterm babies will show signs of skin bruising. Due to the weak breathing, the mucus in the trachea is also not easily discharged by coughing, and it is easy to be aspirated back into the stomach leading to pneumonia.
3, digestive function
Preterm babies have smaller stomachs and a relatively small stomach capacity, spitting and choking during breastfeeding, which can easily cause pneumonia. Preterm babies suck, digestion are relatively weak, easy to lead to malnutrition.
4, liver function
The liver function of preterm babies is not sound enough, the liver synthesizes and metabolizes the enzymes and proteins needed for the lower content, easy to lead to hypoproteinemia, edema. Premature babies appear physiological jaundice earlier, longer duration, slower to subside, more serious situation. Vitamin K, which is needed for clotting factors, is low, resulting in preterm infants being prone to hemorrhage, and the blood does not clot easily after bleeding. In addition, vitamin D and liver glycogen are also deficient, making them susceptible to hypokalemia and hypoglycemia.
5, immune function
The immune function of preterm babies is not as good as that of normal babies, and the plasma gammaglobulin content needed to fight against all kinds of infections is low, which leads to the spread of even the smallest infections to the whole body. Preterm babies also have thin skin and are more susceptible to skin infections. Infections can also result from the use of resuscitation tools, such as tracheas, during labor.
6, kidney function
The premature baby's kidney function is not sound, low filtration rate, urine concentration ability is poor, resulting in weight loss. A diarrhea a dehydration, too much hydration is easy to edema. The metabolism of drugs in preterm infants is also relatively low, which can easily lead to drug intoxication.
7, blood
The platelets, red blood cells, hemoglobin, etc. of preterm infants are lower than the content of normal birth babies, and the lighter the birth weight, the lower the content of the above indicators. Therefore, preterm babies are prone to anemia and bleeding.
8. Neurological
Preterm babies have a poorly developed neurological system, which is often accompanied by a poorly developed brain. Preterm babies can suffer damage to brain cells due to hypoxia, infections, hemorrhage and other conditions, and in severe cases, bilirubin encephalopathy and central system infections can occur.
9, growth and development
Preterm babies grow and develop faster, to be equipped with the appropriate nutrition and correct feeding, otherwise it will lead to preterm babies rickets, anemia, malnutrition and other diseases, which will ultimately affect the growth of preterm babies and intellectual development.
How to care for a preterm baby?
Preterm babies are less well developed than full-term babies, so they need more care to ensure that they grow up healthy and strong.
1, temperature / humidity
Parents should control the temperature of the environment in which the preterm baby grows between 24 degrees Celsius to 26 degrees Celsius, humidity control between 55% to 65%. Parents can place a water basin with water in the room, which can make the indoor air cleaner, which is conducive to the breathing of preterm babies. The clothes you put on your preterm baby should be light, warm, and soft, and you should measure your preterm baby's temperature every 4-6 hours, and minimize unnecessary movement, flipping, and not letting them play.
2, supplemental vitamins
Preterm babies grow and develop faster than normal babies, due to their own body reserves of vitamins and trace elements are insufficient, so it is necessary to supplement their vitamins A, B, C, E, K, as well as trace elements: calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron and so on. Breastfeeding is preferred, but if breastmilk is unavailable or insufficient, a formula specifically designed for preterm babies should be used.
3. Preventing infections
If a preemie is in the hospital's preemie room under the care of specialized medical staff, parents don't need to worry too much about it, and follow the medical staff's instructions. If you are at home, you should avoid too much contact with the baby and avoid kissing and touching him or her. Caregivers should wash their hands frequently and wear a mask.
4. Feeding
Because preterm babies are not as good at sucking as full-term babies, you need to have more patience when you feed them, which usually takes about half an hour. If the baby has just moved home from the hospital, the diet needs to be the same as in the hospital, the change of environment will have an impact on the baby's intestines and stomach, so that the baby has a process of adaptation, and in a few days, according to the family situation, the choice of food to feed.
5, check
Regularly return to the hospital to check to ensure that the preterm baby healthy growth.