Being a mom, especially for the first time, can be one of the most cherished and most rewarding moments in a woman's life, as she finally is able to confirm to her mother-in-law and the other numerous witches trying to tie her womb that indeed her womanhood is intact. No shaking. This is especially so in this neck of the woods where women are constantly blamed and ridiculed for not having borne a child, even though in 50% of such cases the man is the sole cause of it. So it is usually no surprise when pregnant women erupt into wild, jubilant celebration, with songs of praise to God Almighty, after a successful delivery.


Even with all the joys that come with childbirth, the happy-happy mood is soon replaced with feelings of dread, anxiety, pain and fear of the unknown when the child starts having a fever, cough or whatever symptom worthy of note. This is not unexpected as babies, especially under five babies, are very prone to infections due to their vulnerable and developing immunity.
Some of these symptoms often resolve with a bit of medical help and maneuvering, while others require very prompt and active medical care so as save the life of the baby in question. These symptoms, the alarm symptoms, are the ones a mother most always be on the look out for....247! Because when missed, they cause very serious complications for the baby.


Below are 10 of the alarm signs/symptoms mothers must always and promptly notify their doctors about;


#1. Yellowish eyes/Skin:

Newborn babies, for the first 3 days or so of life, experience a very mild form of jaundice (physiologic jaundice) that occasionally presents as yellowing of the eyes. This is due to the destruction of fetal red blood cells, and it is a normal occurence. However, when the jaundice becomes progressive and severe, it could be a sign of an underlying liver disease or something else. Usually, it starts from the eyes to the hands, abdomen and finally ends in the legs. Because the pigment, bilirubin, responsible for this discolouration is very harmful to the child's brain, it is very important that this is spotted on time and the doctor be notified promptly.


#2. Convulsion/Fits:

In older kids, this can be very easy to identify. However, in neonates (babies from 0-30 days), it can be difficult spotting this sign. Usually for neonates, it presents of rapid blinking of the eyes, smacking of the lips, occasional facial twitches, etc. Regardless of whether it happens in neonates or infants or children above 1 year of age, this sign must never ever be ignored. If as a mother you ignore this sign, you could possibly end up with a child who is generally dysfunctional with serious disabilities.


#3. High fever:

Any fever in excess of 38 degree Celsius must be rigorously monitored. Especially when the baby is also either coughing with very rapid respiration (pneumonia) or the baby has a very stiff neck (meningitis). Pneumonia and meningitis are two very deadly conditions in children, particularly under five children. As a mom, always have a thermometer with you and take the body temperature of your child whenever you suspect a fever.


#4. Severe stomach ache :

While this may be very difficult to identify in children who are yet to start talking, it no less a very serious symptom not to ignore. Children who are already talking can conveniently complain about this and often point to the actual location of the pain while neonates and children who are yet to start talking will just have this relentless high-pitched cry. Watch out for this symptom as it could be indicative of appendicitis (which is usually an emergency), intussusception (a condition common in children under 4 years, where the upper intestines telescope into the lower intestines) or a strangulated hernia (a very common occurence in children).


#5. Chronic diarrhoea and vomiting:

Is your child stooling and/or vomiting excessively? Then alert your doctor about it. Cholera often presents as diarrhoea and vomiting. And death from it is very swift, and often due to the dehydration and abnormalities in the electrolytes that follow the stooling and vomiting. Mothers MUST know how to prepare oral rehydration solution (ORS) at home and be able to give it to their children when they are stooling and/or vomiting excessively. This simple ORS may be the only thing that will keep your child alive until you get access to a doctor. Click this link to learn how to make and give ORS: http://doctorshub.com.ng/2017/02/02/how-to-prepare-and-give-oral-rehydration-solution-at-home/


#6. Difficulty with breathing:

Difficulty with breathing, often presenting as deep, laboured breathing or rapid, shallow breathing, may be caused by asthma, pneumonia or tuberculosis or any other respiratory infection. Very commonly in infants, it is due to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a very highly fatal condition where oxygen is unable to get the lungs because the lungs are filled with fluid. Due to the high mortality (death) associated with these conditions, no mom should delay in seeking medical help when they are noticed.


#7. Excessive crying
It is normal for babies to cry when they are hungry, in need of a diaper change or when their mothers are away for too long and when the weather is unbearably hot and uncomfortable. However, when a child keeps crying even in the absence of the factors listed above, then the mother must be alarmed, especially when the cry is a high-pitched one. There a thousand and one possible medical reasons that may be responsible for the child's crying, which is why mothers must be quick to seek expert medical help to help find out the cause of it and to quickly address it.


#8. Bluish colouration of the lips and hands (fingers):

This is called cyanosis. It usually is a sign of defective or suboptimal oxygen circulation. Very common causes of it include congenital heart diseases, asthma, pneumonia, ARDS, cyanide poisoning, airway obstruction, heart failure, etc. It is a sign that portends a potentially deadly underlying condition. Such a child must be given intranasal (through the nose) oxygen quickly so as to avoid disaster.


#9. Distended abdomen:

This is a very common complaint among neonates and infants. A few causes abound but very commonly it is seen in babies who, after being fed formula-based feeds, develop constipation. Even so, it resolves without within a day or two. However, when the tummy gets progessively bigger, there is vomiting, and the baby is not defecating or is constipated, then the doctor must be called and notified. Hirschprung's disease is a common cause of this, and so is congenital megacolon, duodenal atresia, malrotation and other strange-sounding, boring but potentially deadly medical conditions. Always consult a doctor when this is noticed.


#10. Signs of dehydration:

This is yet another one that can assassinate your baby very swiftly and without remorse. Look out for the following signs:
-Dry lips with parched tongue
-Sunken eyes
-Sunken or depressed fontanelles (fontanelles are those places on the baby's head that are unclosed when the baby is born, and often pulsate when felt or closely watched. With time, the skull bones get sutured and the fontanelles close)
-Absence of tears even when the baby cries
-Very low or no passage of urine- usually, day old baby wets one diaper. Two days old wets two and from day 3 until about 6 weeks, a baby may be wetting about 6 diapers every day. If after day 1 or 2, your baby is only doing one diaper or none at all, you must and should be worried.


NB: when the fontanelles are also significantly bulging, the mother must alert a doctor. It commonly signifies a brain infection such as encephalitis, meningitis or hydrocephalus (excess water in the brain).


For questions, comments and clarifications, please leave a comment in the comment box below or click on this link http://doctorshub.com.ng/our%20doctors/ and have any of our qualified doctors promptly attend to you.

Thanks for reading!


P.S: When we care, we #share.




http://doctorshub.com.ng/2017/02/02/to-all-moms-never-ignore-these-10-signs-and-symptoms-in-your-babies/

#move it to front page. ASAP. My son almost die of excessive stooling. But I tank God he is alive today.

ayam here.