What is blood infection in infants, how to cure it?

KABUL (Pajhwok): Doctors say septicemia or blood infection in infants during pregnancy or delivery can be fatal and mothers should be fed well during pregnancy.

Doctors recommend expecting mother should be fed well during pregnancy to prevent this infection and equipment needed for delivery should be sterilised so that germs do not enter the body of the infant.

How septicemia happens?

Dr Mohammad Arif Hassanzai, head of the internal medicine department at Indira Gandhi Children Hospital, told Pajhwok Afghan News that blood infections happened in two cases in an infant, either during pregnancy or delivery time.

He said in some cases, the infection was transmitted from the blood of mothers to the fetus.

“But if a mother is not well fed, the fetus becomes weak and susceptible to disease, especially blood infection”.

He explained: “In Afghanistan, most of the times childbirths take place at home, and the equipment used is not sterilized, it may contain germs… the infection may enter the blood of the infant through unsterilized equipment when cutting the umbilical cord.”

Signs and symptoms in babies

Dr Hassanzai named severe fever, discomfort, weakness, rapid breathing and jaundice as symptoms and said the infected infant could not suck breast milk.”

Recommendations

Dr Hassanzai says: “Any infection in babies or infants can be much more dangerous compared to matured children because in these cases the immune system is not well formed and has not yet found the ability to deal with all kinds of infections so this is the reason why it is said that newborns should be treated in the hospital.”

He added: “The childbirth should take place in a clean place, the umbilical cord should be cut with a special and clean surgical equipment or a special net, when the baby is born and brought home, ailing people should not approach them, even if the mother is sick, she should wear a mask while breastfeeding the baby, the air in the room should be fresh.”

According to him, babies should be breastfed for up to six months and after six months to two years, complementary food should be given to the babies in addition to breastfeeding.

He said babies with blood infection should be taken to health centre as soon as possible otherwise it could prove fatal.

“If a baby with blood infection is not treated soon, it can lead to death and if the fetus gets blood infection inside the womb, the baby can die prematurely or with low weight. So, the mother should be fed-well and should be calm.”

He said there was a special ward at the children hospital to treat babies with blood infection.

He also urged families, especially mothers, to be well-fed, calm, not to worry, take pregnancy vaccines properly and to be under medical treatment during pregnancy.

Mothers

Safiya, 27, a resident of Bamyan who had brought her sick child to Kabul’s Children Hospital, said her son was nine-day-old and born in seventh month of pregnancy.

The women’s son has been suffering from jaundice since birth and his blood has infections and could not suck mother’s milk. He is currently under treatment in this hospital and his condition has slightly improved.

Mahjabin, a resident of Kabul who is attending her hospitalized grandson, said: “My daughter gave birth to twins, one of the babies’ skin is green and has irregular heartbeat and blood infection, but he is now better compared to the first day.”

sa/ma