Medications for new-born babies should be delivered with utmost care and specialisation, according to an expert. Jaundice and breathing disorders are the most common problems among babies generally.
“Neonatology is different from paediatrics. Medicine and treatment of neo-nates are different from paediatric and it needs particular specialisation and studies. Most of the problems start at pregnancy stage itself, hence extra care should be taken during the regular check-ups. Also the neo-natal departments should be ready and trained to perform their roles perfectly,” said Dr Ahmed Fayez Bakr, Consultant Neonatologist and Head of the Department of Paediatrics, Al Ahli Hospital, during a workshop recently.
There is increase in the number of disabilities and hereditary diseases due to consanguinity here. “Marriage between first and second cousins is on the rise and this increases the risk of passing on the diseases to the offspring. Many genetic diseases are caused by recessive genes. When there is genetic similarity among couples, this may lead to one getting two copies of the same gene.”
According to him, many of the abnormalities can be corrected while the baby is still in the womb. Hence pregnant women should go for regular check-ups and ultra sound to find any kind of abnormalites in the foetus. If found earlier, doctors can work on it at the earliest stage to prevent future difficulties.
“Any temperature difference in the child should be attended properly even if there are no visible symptoms. If left unattended, it can lead to serious problems like meningitis or other critical conditions. Hospitals should check blood, renal function, liver function, urine and cerebro-spinal fluid to ascertain the conditions,” Dr Bakr said.
However, new-born should not be given anti-biotic at the first instance because it is effective against bacteria alone, while illnesses can be because of virus or fungus. Anti-biotic usage without doctor’s prescription can only help in reducing immunity.
“Ten to 15 percent of the newborn cases need to be admitted to a newborn unit for some reason or the other. This increases the need for highly skilled and trained neonatal professionals,” he said.
The Peninsula