Neonatal care

Define neonate:

• Birth to 10 days /2wks

• Perinatal period <1 day

Define infant:

• 2- 5/6 wks

• preweaning

Define juvenile:

• post-weaning to 6months (puberty)

• physiologic processes mature by 8-12 weeks

• adult teeth eruption completed by ~16wks

History of dam:

• general health

• age

• nutrition

• infections/parasites

• sanitation

• genetics

History of partuition:

• normal birth wt

• hypoxia

History to investigate:

• prolonged labor

• dystocia

• early placental separation

• housing

• population density

• maternal behavior

• nutrition (dam and neonate)

What defines a healthy neonate?

• sleeping, nursing, being groomed

• Nursing evey 2-3 hrs

• Attentive dam

• Litter huddled together

What indications are there for doing PE on neontates?

• post c-section

• preventative health care program

• cosmetic procedures

• sick

PE indicators of healthy neonates:

• fat and sleek

  • round abdomen and stretchy skin

• robust reflexes

  • strong rooting, suckling, righting

• Gaining weight

• Responsive to odor, tactile stimuli

What does a sick neonate look like?

• Weak (limp, poor reflexes)

• Restless, persistently vocalizing

• Being ignored

• Isolation

• Poor weight gain

How is hydration different in puppies?

prone to both dehydration and volume overload

How should body wt change in neonates?

• Normal growth - wt doubling in 7-10days

• Failure to grow is NEG sign

• Low birth wt = worse prognosis

Define poikilothermic:

unable to regulate own body temp (only begin shivering day 6)

HR in neonates:

>200 bpm

• hypothermia, hypoxia → bradycardia

• murmurs - can be innocent or PDA

Resp patterns in neonates:

• 15-36 breath/min 1st 2wks

• 16-32 breaths/min 2-4wks

What resp issues can occur in neonates?

• cyanosis

• stenotic nares

• nasal discharge

  • cleft palate, pneumonia

• dyspnea

  • trauma, pneumonia

Define omphalitis:

infection at umbilical stump (cord remnant only there 2-3 days)

When do eyes and ears open?

5-14 days

Reflexes and hearing by:

menace, PLR, and hearing by 4 weeks