Is the baby's frequent straining caused by brain hypoxia?

When babies are growing up, they will like to do various movements. Only when babies do these movements can they help their growth and development. When parents see their baby doing these actions, they will feel that the baby is very cute. If the baby moves very frequently, or even seems excited, parents will feel worried, wondering if the baby is suffering from brain hypoxia.

Causes of brain hypoxia in infants

Neonatal cerebral hypoxia refers to hypoxic-ischemic damage to the brain caused by perinatal asphyxia. A series of encephalopathy manifestations appear clinically. This disease not only seriously threatens the life of newborns, but is also one of the most common causes of disability in post-neonatal children. The main causes of neonatal cerebral hypoxia are maternal factors, placental abnormalities, fetal factors, umbilical cord blood blockage, delivery process factors, neonatal diseases, etc.

Perinatal asphyxia is the main cause of this disease. Anything that causes obstruction of blood circulation and gas exchange between the mother and fetus, resulting in a decrease in blood oxygen concentration, can cause suffocation. 50% are caused by intrauterine asphyxia; 40% are caused by asphyxia during delivery; and 10% are caused by congenital diseases.

Symptoms of brain hypoxia in babies

1. Mild : hyperarousal, irritable, excited and highly agitated (shaking, tremor), normal muscle tone, active hugging reflex, normal sucking reflex, stable breathing, no convulsions. The symptoms usually disappear gradually within 3 days and the prognosis is good.

2. Moderate : Depressed state, drowsiness or light coma, hypotonia, 50% of cases have convulsions, respiratory arrest and weakened hugging and sucking reflexes. The decrease in muscle tone in the upper limbs of full-term babies is more serious than that in the lower limbs, suggesting that the lesion involves the parasagittal sinus area. If a premature baby shows that the lower limb muscle tone is more severe than the upper limb, it indicates that the lesion is periventricular leukomalacia. If symptoms persist for more than 7-10 days, there may be sequelae.

3. Severe : The child is in a coma, with extremely low and loose muscle tone, disappearance of hug reflex and tendon reflex, unequal pupils, poor reaction to light, bulging anterior fontanelle, frequent convulsions, irregular or stopped breathing, and even respiratory failure. The mortality rate among children with severe disease is high, and survivors often have sequelae.

Methods to prevent brain hypoxia in babies

1. During the delivery process, the fetal heart rate must be closely monitored. If intrauterine distress is detected, oxygen and intravenous glucose and other drugs must be given in time, and the best way should be chosen to end the delivery as soon as possible so that the fetus can be delivered as soon as possible.

2. If a newborn baby suffocates after birth, medical staff should strive to help the baby establish effective breathing and complete circulatory functions within 5 minutes to minimize the damage to brain cells caused by lack of oxygen after birth.

3. After resuscitation from asphyxia, the neurological symptoms of newborns should be closely observed and all vital signs monitored. Once abnormal neurological symptoms such as impaired consciousness, decreased limb tension, and difficulty in eliciting primitive reflexes are found, the diagnosis of this disease should be considered and treatment should be given as soon as possible to reduce the incidence of sequelae among survivors.