Sepsis disease
Sepsis relates to the severe infection observed in the blood and spreads throughout the body, normally observed in the new born babies. This is also known as sepsis neonatorum or neonatal septicemia. Sepsis is an infectious disease generally spread into the body through micro organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. The new born babies are the immediate victims of this problem due to the mother’s genital tract during labor and delivery or after the birth from the contact with others. The complications during the mother’s pregnancy are largely responsible for the development of sepsis like premature rupture of the membranes, bleeding problems, difficult delivery, infection in the uterus or placental tissues, fever in the mother during the delivery or pregnancy etc. Placing babies in the newborn intensive care unit are at great risk for catching hospital acquired infections. Many babies in the newborn intensive care unit are premature or having low birth weight that makes them more liable to infection. The babies need enveloping treatments and procedures to protect them from getting into the dangerous situation. Microorganisms normally live on the skin may cause infection if they enter the body through catheters and other tubes inserted into the baby’s body. Sepsis can be life threatening for the newborn babies especially if the baby has the weakened immune system due to premature birth or any other illness from the mother. With the weak immune system the baby is unable to fight against the growing microorganism in the body and infection can get spread quickly causing serious illness like meningitis or pneumonia.
Sepsis in newborns is not always easy to identify since newborn babies normally don’t show the symptoms. Each baby would experience different symptoms depending on their physical strength and the type of organism causing the infection. The symptoms may reflect apnea or difficult breathing, decreased heart rate and temperature, weak suck, jaundice, etc. Sepsis can be developed with some medical procedures as well like blood tests, spinal tap, blood cultures, urine culture, culture of fluids from inside tubes and catheters that are inserted in the body of the baby and x-rays. A diagnostic test which uses invisible electromagnetic energy beams to produce images of internal tissues, bones and organs onto film. Various procedures are adopted to determine which antibiotics or medications are most effective for the treatment of specific microorganism. The treatment mainly depends on the age and overall health of the baby and his medical history, the response of specific medications, procedures and therapies, expectations for the course of disease etc. Early preventive measures are highly important to safeguard from the spreading sepsis in the body of the baby. Babies who are at increased risk for sepsis like premature or low birth weight babies may have preventive antibiotic treatment immediately after the cultures are taken. If the proper treatment is not provided, sepsis could prove life threatening and may spoil several body systems at the same time. The health care team should take effective measures to protect your baby from the dangerous sepsis.