Top 5 Most Common Infant Affecting Diseases

Jaundice

Jaundice is one of the most common diseases affecting infants and newborns. Every day there are millions of babies dying due to severe cases of jaundice at birth. Jaundice is a disease that is caused due to an excess of bilirubin that results in a yellowish pigmentation of the skin. This is usually something that can be resolved, but only if treated at the nick of time. In the case of infants, this disease is a lot more serious as their liver is still immature and will not be to handle the bilirubin from the gallbladder.

Bluish Skin and Apnea

Although, any healthy baby is possibly bluish at the time of birth and for a little while post that, this usually fades away after a while when the blood circulation improves. However, in the case of a bluish tinge around the mouth or bluish tinge that refuses to fade could mean that you need to see a physician or pediatrician as soon as possible to get the child diagnosed. Your infant could be suffering from Apnea which means the stoppage of breathing for around 15 to 20 seconds which results in a bluish skin tone.  Keep in mind that this also indicates, an underlying heart problem that may require immediate attention.

Anemia

Anemia is a deficiency that exists in infants, children, and adults. Regardless, it can be treated. It refers to a condition where there is a lack of hemoglobin, indicating that the level of oxygen in the child’s blood is low and that the blood is thicker than required. Usually, the children of anemic mothers tend to be born anemic as well, and if this goes untreated, it can result in something extremely serious and be fatal for the health of the child.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is yet another common condition that captures the infant body, usually as a reaction to the various antibiotics and infections that plague the infant’s body. What you can do is keep the infant well hydrated using oral saline and water. Ensure you monitor the color and texture of the stools and if in any doubt, make sure to consult your doctor.

Colic

Colic is yet another common disease in infants. This disease refers to a condition wherein the baby cries continuously without any real reason.   Normally, any discomfort experienced by the baby needs to disappear within a period of 3 months from birth. If that does not happen, then the colic is persistent, and the milk formula intolerance needs to be ruled out, and the actual cause for this needs to be diagnosed.

Congenital heart defect

A congenital heart defect is a disease in the structure of the infant’s heart present at the time of birth. Any signs and symptoms of the same, depend on the specific type of problem that exists.  The symptoms for this can easily vary from none at all to life-threatening. Some of these symptoms are rapid breathing, poor weight gain, bluish skin, and feeling tired.