Breathing difficulties in premature babies
According to the figures, breathing difficulty is one of the most common problems in premature babies. In 2-3 percent of all newborn babies; Breathing difficulties are encountered in 50 percent of babies born under 30 weeks and in 20 percent of babies with a birth weight of less than 2,500 grams. Reminding that breathing difficulties can be seen not only in premature babies but also in all babies, Anadolu Health Center Specialists say, “The incidence of respiratory difficulties in cesarean birth is twice as high as in normal birth.”
What is premature birth?
While the birth of the baby before the end of the 37th week of pregnancy is defined as premature birth, research shows that 8 out of every 100 babies in Turkey are born prematurely. While premature birth can cause some problems in babies, the first of these is breathing difficulties. Breathing difficulties can be seen not only in premature babies, but also in all babies for various reasons. In addition to lung-related causes; Causes such as obstruction in the upper respiratory tract, congenital heart diseases, excess red blood cells in the blood, anemia, metabolic problems, blood infections, meningitis and intracranial hemorrhage can also cause breathing difficulties.
Symptoms of breathing difficulties
Symptoms include a higher respiratory rate than normal, that is, between 20-40 per minute, retractions in the rib cage, opening and closing of the nose wings, moaning, bluish skin color and intermittent stopping of breathing. The baby who has breathing difficulties also shows signs of reluctance to suck, weakness and restlessness.
Birth by cesarean section increases the risk of breathing difficulties
The likelihood of experiencing respiratory difficulties varies depending on the type of birth. During normal birth, the baby is in the womb in a watery environment called amniotic fluid. Since the baby constantly swallows that liquid, his lungs fill with water. Considering normal birth, the amount of water synthesized by the lungs decreases during the preparation phase of the baby’s birth. As the baby passes through the birth canal, the rib cage gets compressed, and some water is expelled from the lungs. The remaining water is absorbed through the vessels we call “lymphatics” in the lungs. In cesarean delivery, when it is decided to remove the baby, the water in the lungs does not decrease because the mother has not started labor yet and there is no hormonal change. The child goes into labor with excess fluid in the lungs and cannot expel this fluid because it cannot pass through the birth canal. Therefore, the lungs cannot open and expand sufficiently and respiratory distress occurs. Although this situation is also seen in normal births, when evaluated in terms of frequency, it is approximately twice as common in cesarean births.
Which babies are at risk of breathing difficulties?
The risk of respiratory difficulties may arise in premature births, babies of diabetic mothers, cesarean births, babies whose first stool passes into the respiratory tract while in the womb, and babies with a familial predisposition. In some families, it can be seen even in term babies due to genetically inherited deficiencies in surfactant proteins.
Temporary breathing difficulties can be treated in 2 to 5 days
Generally, in babies with temporary breathing difficulties, this situation improves within 2 to 5 days. If there are other problems with the lungs, support with a respirator is required. During the treatment process, the surfactant substance that is missing to develop the babies’ lungs is given to the lungs through a tube placed in the respiratory tract. While performing respiratory procedures; In order to feed the baby, it is necessary to open a vascular access and give fluid through a catheter from the umbilical cord. Since all these will increase the risk of infection in the baby, it is recommended to start antibiotics at the same time.
If there is risk, neonatal intensive care becomes important
Various factors that may cause respiratory distress can be investigated before the baby is born. In cases such as the mother’s diabetes, large baby status, threat of premature birth and congenital heart disease, these pregnant women must give birth in centers with a neonatal intensive care unit. Thus, baby losses and future problems that may develop in the baby can be reduced.
