Holding your new born baby in your hands is an experience truly unexplainable with words. The next step to taking care of your fragile little baby is to know the diseases related to a new born baby and the necessary steps to be taken to avoid further problems.
Jaundice
Most common disease seen in a new born is jaundice. Almost all the babies are born with mild levels of jaundice. But there is nothing to worry. If the disease seems to extend to more than 2 or 3 weeks, call your doctor. Jaundice in new born is common because, the baby's body as accumulated waste products. Normally, mother's body would have removed it, but now the baby's own body has to do this. So it takes time. That period is reflected as jaundice.
Erythroblastosis fetalis (Hemolytic disease of the new born)
If the mother has Rh negative blood and the baby has Rh positive blood, the mother's body assumes the Rh positive blood of the baby as a foreign particle. The immediate result would be to produce antibodies to fight this Rh positive blood. This doesn't however affect the first conceived child. The second conceived child which is Rh positive will be born blue due to lack of oxygen.
For this new born baby disease there are injections which will neutralize these antibodies and save the child from being born blue.
Viral infections
Chicken pox, polio, HIV and the list goes on. To prevent such viral infections, hygiene is the key. Nowadays vaccines have come up to save the diseases from affecting the new born. These vaccinations should be provided as soon as possible and the booster doses should be provided as well.
In case the mother is suffering from Herpes or any other STD, the baby has a chance of being infected by the virus while travelling out of the birth canal. Eyes are prone to infection this way.
Flu
Flu is one of the common diseases that attack neonates. Coughing, sneezing and breathing troubles are some of the common symptoms. This is sometimes accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting and fever. Many safe and tested drugs are there to control flu.
Polio
A deadly and severely extremities deforming disease, polio attacks babies through contaminated water and food. Polio vaccine is an absolute essential and probably the only way to prevent the disease form affecting your baby. Not once, but the vaccine has to be administered twice an year within a gap of 3 or 6 months, depending on the age, till the age of 5.
Diseases of premature babies
Heart diseases are the most common premature baby diseases. Blood vessels closure (requires drugs and sometime surgery), brain damage, infections due to compromised immune system, eye problems, respiratory problems, etc.
All these are curable to give the baby a healthy and normal life.
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