Common problems of the newborn

Newborn jaundice (icterus) occurs in half of full-term newborns. It usually resolves on its own and has no further consequences. It arises due to the breakdown of red blood cells, which releases the pigment bilirubin, causing yellow discoloration of the skin and the whites of the eyes. Jaundice is monitored in all babies twice a day using transcutaneous icterometry – a painless probe placed on the baby’s skin. If jaundice exceeds a certain level, the doctor may decide to check bilirubin levels through a blood test. Mild forms of jaundice do not require treatment. When jaundice is more severe, the baby is treated with phototherapy – a blue light treatment conducted in a neonatal box under the direct supervision of nurses. Nurses regularly bring babies to mothers for breastfeeding during phototherapy, or mothers come to the neonatal box to feed the baby.

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can occur in certain newborns with specific risk factors, such as babies with low or high birth weight, babies of mothers with gestational or other forms of diabetes, premature babies, or newborns with postnatal adaptation disorders. Blood sugar levels are checked in all newborns at risk by taking a sample from the heel.

Fluctuating body temperature is also considered one of the possible initial problems in newborns. Newborns do not have fully developed thermoregulation and can easily become too cold or overheated. Both conditions can pose a risk to the baby. In the first days of life, the baby’s temperature is regularly measured in the armpit (normal range 36–37°C) or rectally (normal range 36.5–37.5°C).

Transient rapid or labored breathing (transient tachypnea of the newborn) after birth. Newborns are monitored in the neonatal box of the postpartum ward (even if they require oxygen therapy). Often, the baby’s condition spontaneously improves within a few hours. In case of complications, the baby is cared for in our specialized intensive care unit.

Conjunctivitis, which may appear in the first days after birth as eye discharge. The cause is the passage of the baby through the birth canal, which is colonized by various microbes. The eyes are treated with eye drops.