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Our newborn baby is being fed through external pipe.Will this cause any problem?

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Published At May 18, 2015
Reviewed AtFebruary 11, 2024

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

Our newborn baby suffered in first inhalation and his heartbeat stopped one second and then his breath and heartbeat got restored. But x-ray shows some traces (please refer attachement). His heart is normal and he is in ICU for normal treatment of oxygen and normal feeding through external pipe.

Kindly explain the x-ray. Will feeding with external pipe create any problem to the baby (he is just one day old)?

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

  • From the information provided about the condition of the baby, baby did not breathe soon after birth, which babies should normally do.
  • So, the baby was given breathing support from outside, so that baby breathed after a minute and hence restored breathing and heartbeat. 
  • If baby did not breathe, oxygen supply to the body has been decreased, especialy to important organs like brain, heart, kidneys, lungs etc. There might be symptoms related to these organs.
  • Each individual is different and effect sustained by the organs and the baby's response decides how the baby is going to be.
  • You have not mentioned any other symptoms, so I would presume that baby does not have any.
  • The external pipe feeding which is into the stomach, is for providing milk to the baby which is a common procedure done in NICU. There is no problem with that and will usually be continued until baby is ready for taking milk through the mouth.
  • In your baby's case, he should be out of oxygen support and after brain adequately recovers from the insult, and when the baby is able to suck and swallow like any normal baby, the external pipe feeding will be stopped.

I have gone through the reports (attachment removed to protect patient identity).

  • Your baby has some fluid in the lungs, which many babies have at birth and which gets absorbed with time. The time duration varies, especially if your baby did not cry at birth, this might be prolonged for a few days. In some occasions, some babies require more than oxygen, that is breathing machine like CPAP or ventilator.
  • Echo being normal is good for the baby. They would keep watch for symptoms like fits (symptoms related to brain insult).

Consult a paediatrician online for further follow up --> https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/paediatrician

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

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Dr. Nagasirisha Naredla

Pediatrics

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