Recognize the Symptoms of Dangerous Baby Diseases and How to Handle It
HealthyJakal.Com - Infant disease is often difficult to identify because the baby is not yet able to speak or show that he is sick or feel certain complaints. However, as a parent, you must be more careful and be able to recognize some of the symptoms and signs when your little one is sick.
When in pain, babies often cry incessantly or appear fussy. However, there are also other symptoms that can be a sign of illness in the baby, such as fever, the baby looks weak and pale, until the feet and hands feel cold.
Some Baby Diseases and Treatments
The following are some types of dangerous baby diseases that are quite common:
1. Diarrhea
Symptoms of diarrhea in babies who are still breastfeeding are rather difficult to distinguish from regular bowel movements. However, if the stool that comes out is liquid and the frequency of bowel movements is more frequent than usual, this may indicate that the baby is suffering from diarrhea.
In addition to more frequent bowel movements and loose stools, diarrhea in infants can also cause other symptoms, such as dry mouth, crying without tears, fussiness, lack of drinking or breastfeeding, body looks weak, and eyes look sunken.
These symptoms can be a sign that the baby is dehydrated due to diarrhea. Handling by a doctor must be done immediately because this condition can endanger the baby's life.
2. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a viral infectious disease of the lungs and respiratory tract that generally affects infants and children. This disease is more at risk for premature babies. RSV infection can cause the baby to develop bronchitis and pneumonia.
Common symptoms of RSV infection in infants are rapid and wheezing, fever, cough, runny nose, and lethargy. If your child shows symptoms of RSV, limit his contact with other people and keep the air quality in the house clean and fresh. Also keep your little one from pollution and cigarette smoke.
This baby's disease generally heals on its own within a few days. However, you need to immediately take your little one to the doctor if he is under 3 months old or if he experiences dangerous symptoms, such as shortness of breath, his body looks very weak, or the skin looks bluish.
3. Otitis media
Otitis media is a bacterial or viral infection of the middle ear. This condition is more at risk for babies who often have colds, coughs, or are exposed to a lot of pollution, such as cigarette smoke.
When exposed to an ear infection, the baby will generally look more fussy or cry a lot, often pull the ear, fever, vomiting, discharge from the ear, to hearing loss.
When your little one shows these symptoms, immediately take him to the doctor to get the right treatment. This is important to prevent dangerous complications, such as permanent hearing loss or meningitis.
4. Diabetes in babies
Diabetes does not only occur in adults, but also in children and infants. This infant disease is more common in babies born to mothers who have gestational diabetes.
Babies with diabetes will usually have a birth weight greater than normal babies. In addition, diabetes in infants can also cause other symptoms, such as jaundice, shortness of breath, weakness, seizures, thirst, facial swelling, to body shaking or tremors.
Babies who have diabetes are also more likely to develop type 1 diabetes later in life. Therefore, this disease needs to be treated directly by a doctor.
5. Retinoblastoma
Retinoblastoma is a malignant tumor or cancer of the retina that can affect children under 2 years of age.
This disease is generally characterized by enlarged pupil size, misaligned or crossed eyes, there is a reflection of white light in the pupil of the eye, and visual disturbances.
If you find these symptoms in your little one, immediately consult a pediatrician to get the right treatment. If left untreated, retinoblastoma has a high risk of causing death in infants and children.
6. Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord due to viral or bacterial infection.
This disease that often attacks infants and children generally can cause several symptoms, such as stiff neck, high fever, severe headache, vomiting, sensitivity to light, reddish rash, frequent drowsiness, seizures, and no appetite.
If you find these symptoms in your little one, immediately consult a doctor to get the right treatment.
7. Sepsis
Sepsis is a serious medical condition caused by a severe infection in the body. Sepsis is usually caused by a bacterial infection, but it can also be caused by a virus.
Sepsis can occur in newborns and babies who are older. This disease is also at risk for babies who are born prematurely or have low birth weight and babies who get infections while still in the womb or at birth.
Babies with sepsis will generally experience several symptoms, such as frequent drowsiness, very fast breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, decreased body temperature, refusal to breastfeed, and skin that looks pale or yellow.
Sepsis is a dangerous condition in infants. If not treated immediately by a doctor, this disease can lead to fatal complications.
8. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)
This infant disease occurs when the baby's colon becomes inflamed, resulting in sores or even holes in the baby's intestines. This disease mostly affects newborns or the first few months after birth.
The cause of NEC is not known with certainty until now. However, the condition is more common in premature or low birth weight babies, formula-fed babies, or babies who were deprived of oxygen at birth.
In addition, NEC is also thought to be caused by a bacterial infection in the baby's gastrointestinal tract.
This baby disease can cause the baby to experience symptoms of nausea, vomiting, fussiness due to abdominal pain, weakness, lack of breastfeeding, and blood in the stool. If not treated promptly, NEC can lead to serious complications and even death.
Babies are generally susceptible to illness because their immune systems are still weak and not fully developed. However, if he shows severe symptoms that do not improve, this could be a sign that the baby is sick or has a certain disease.
However, parents are advised not to panic when the baby experiences the above symptoms. If your little one experiences symptoms of a dangerous baby disease, immediately take him to the pediatrician to undergo an examination and get the right treatment according to his illness.