Neonatal intracranial infection

I believe many people know that the body of a newborn is very fragile. Since the early immune system and various body functions are still in a development stage, some problems are prone to occur. It is also very common for newborns to have some intracranial infections, which are mainly caused by the excitement or inhibition of the central nervous system. It poses a great threat to the brain development of newborns and may even cause some other symptoms. So when a newborn is found to have intracranial infection, what methods should be used to solve it?

The main manifestations of intracranial infection in newborns are symptoms of central nervous system excitement or inhibition, such as crying, screaming, convulsions, increased muscle tone, and further development may lead to drowsiness, coma, pale complexion and other symptoms. The diagnosis is confirmed by head CT, lumbar puncture, cerebrospinal fluid analysis and other examinations. If it is confirmed to be an intracranial infection, antibiotics and brain cell nourishing drugs should be used in time. Most children can be cured through active treatment without leaving any sequelae. However, severe intracranial infection combined with neurological damage may leave sequelae such as epilepsy.

What is intracranial hemorrhage in newborns?

The main causes of intracranial hemorrhage in newborns are as follows:

1. Birth injury. Because the maternal pelvis is relatively narrow, problems such as cephalopelvic disproportion, an overly large fetal head, and a small birth canal may occur, which may cause the newborn's head to be squeezed during birth, or may be affected by some midwifery methods, causing the baby's intracranial blood vessels to tear, leading to intracranial hemorrhage.

2. Hypoxia and ischemia. Neonatal intracranial hemorrhage caused by hypoxia-ischemia mostly occurs in premature infants, and the younger the gestational age, the higher the incidence. Most of the time, it is metabolic acidosis caused by hypoxia-ischemia such as umbilical cord around the neck and placental abruption, which leads to increased permeability of blood vessel walls, causing blood overflow. The amount of bleeding will not be large, but the bleeding range will be relatively wide.

3. Others. Congenital intracranial vascular malformations or congenital systemic bleeding diseases such as reduced expression of certain coagulation factors may cause intracranial hemorrhage or aggravate it. For example, coagulation factor deficiency and thrombocytopenia can cause intracranial hemorrhage. Iatrogenic factors such as rapid volume expansion, infusion of hypertonic fluids, excessive blood pressure fluctuations, improper mechanical ventilation, and excessive peak inspiratory pressure or positive end-expiratory pressure may also contribute to the occurrence of intracranial hemorrhage to a certain extent.

Symptoms of intracranial hemorrhage in newborns

Intracranial hemorrhage in newborns needs to be taken seriously. So how to determine whether a newborn has intracranial hemorrhage? Generally, it can be found through a doctor's examination. New mothers can also use the following symptoms to understand whether their baby has intracranial hemorrhage so that they can get a diagnosis and treatment plan in time.

1. Common early symptoms include: increased intracranial pressure, such as bulging anterior fontanelle, widening of cranial sutures, increased head circumference; changes in ideology, susceptibility to irritation, over-excitement, irritability, convulsions, etc.; difficulty in moving the eyeballs upward; early increase in muscle tension, etc.

2. As the disease progresses, there will be impaired consciousness and slow perception of the outside world, which may manifest as apathy, drowsiness, coma, hypotonia, and weakened or disappeared hug reflex. It may be accompanied by pale or cyanotic complexion, full or bulging anterior fontanelle, pupils of different sizes or disappearance and dilation of light reflex; respiratory rhythm may change from accelerated to slow, irregular or even apnea.

3. Others: such as anemia and unexplained jaundice.