What is anemia in a newborn

In medicine, anemia is defined as a disease in which a decrease in hemoglobin in the blood and a decrease in the number of red blood cells is observed. According to experts, this ailment is currently quite common. It can be diagnosed absolutely at any age. In this article, we'll talk about why anemia in a newborn can develop, and how to deal with it.

Causes

Today, experts identify several primary factors that lead to the development of the disease. So, anemia in a newborn can be diagnosed for the following reasons:

• Hereditary predisposition;
• A large loss of blood at the time of birth (placenta prematurely separated from the walls of the uterus, there was a rupture of the umbilical cord);
• Early childbirth (premature baby) ;
• Hemolytic disease ;
• Intrauterine infection (for example, rubella, herpes / syphilis, toxoplasmosis, etc.).

Symptoms

First of all, it should be noted that, as a rule, anemia in the newborn develops slowly, hence the primary signs appear only with time. Initially, there is a decrease in appetite in crumbs, then there is a so-called cyanosis of the skin. The liver slightly increases in size, the stool becomes clay and dry. It is noteworthy that if anemia in a newborn has been diagnosed in severe form, hemoglobin first falls sharply, but the amount of red blood cells may remain normal for a long time. Experts warn that it is very important to identify the disease in the earliest stages. The thing is that with fairly rapid dehydration and diarrhea, the blood begins to thicken rapidly, as a consequence, the ailment remains unrecognized.

Diagnosis of anemia

In some cases, mild degrees of illness can not appear clinically for a long time, so a huge role in the diagnosis is played by laboratory data. So, if the level of hemoglobin is below the level of 110 g / l, and the color index does not exceed 0.8, then we can talk about the presence of an ailment in the body.

Anemia in newborns. Treatment

According to specialists, therapy in this case necessarily involves eliminating the cause of the disease, normalizing the diet (reducing the amount of milk and using a variety of lures), individual treatment, as well as inclusion in the diet of iron. As a rule, in the early stages it is possible to almost completely restore the state of the baby in just seven or eight weeks. If the disease develops rapidly, more serious measures will be required. First of all, stimulation of the organism is prescribed. For these purposes, prescribe the intake of iron preparations, recommend the use of the liver, and also carry out haemo- and fermentotherapy.

Preventive measures

According to experts, in order to avoid such a diagnosis as anemia in a newborn, it is necessary to prevent the disease during pregnancy. The future mother should take the recommended vitamins.