Anyone heard of a baby being born with pneumonia? We were packed and ready to leave the hospital to go home with our newborn when they told us we were going to have to stay another day. Our daughter had "slightly" high temps and somewhat of a "stuffy" nose. They shoved tubes through her nostrils to make sure they weren't clogged shut and then did chest x-rays. From the x-rays they determined it to be pneumonia. They then put her on amoxicillin. The next day her lungs sounded just fine and we went home. It seemed odd to me that pneumonia cleared this quickly and also that amoxicillin was the treatment.
I would have originally thought that it was just wet lungs, but with a temp, it could have been pneumonia. I looked it up on the internet, apparently it is possible.
http://www.drspock.com/faq/0,1511,12487,00.html
Before I explain all this, I want to make sure everyone knows that we do the best we can with what we have. What I'm about to explain is taught in independent childbirth classes, but it's not usually taught in a hospital class, either because certain interventions (like episiotomy or immediate cord clamping) are done routinely despite evidence that they are not beneficial and may be harmful, or because instructors don't want women to feel guilty if they need drugs or a cesarean in birth.
When I teach, I make sure that my parents know that no intervention is bad. Like fire, which can burn or cook a meal, they were all invented for a reason. Used routinely or without a medical indication, they have risks. If we don't know the risks, we can't make informed decisions.
That said, I am only explaining what some possible causes of this are. If anyone has made any of the choices that can lead to this type of issue, either out of lack of knowledge at the time or by necessity, I am not commenting on that. We all do the best we can with what we have, and when we know better, we do better. The question was asked, I'm responding. That's all.
Babies don't breathe in utero. Nature has equipped babies with several mechanisms to insure that water doesn't go into their lungs. Their blood is not oxygenated through their lungs; the little air sacs in their little lungs do not expand until fetal circulation has switched over to normal circulation after the birth; they have plugs in their noses to prevent water from getting in there (you can see them on the Nova special with the baby inside).
Their environment inside is sterile, including the sterile water in which they float in while inside. There is no bacteria to infect the water that isn't in their lungs. (And for those who may question about Group B strep, we all carry that at various times in our life and don' know it because we aren't tested at other times. When we have enough of it in our systems to test 'positive' it doesn't mean it is in the uterus...it's in the vagina and rectum.)
So, I'd have to ask, does it make sense that a baby could be born with a pre-existing condition when none of the elements for that condition to exist?
That said, there are many things that might cause it during or immediately following the birth.
First and foremost is immediate clamping and cutting of the cord. Think about it this way (this is the example I give in my HypnoBirthing class): The baby is getting his oxygen through the cord. At birth, there can be water and mucus in the nostrils and throat. The birth process is supposed to squeeze this from the baby, but if the baby is born surgically or if the mother has an episiotomy, it takes away the 'squeeze' meant to prepare the baby to breathe. If the cord is cut immediately on top of that, the baby's oxygen supply is cut off abruptly, so what must the baby do instinctively? Gasp for air. That pushes any mucous and water into the lungs forcefully. If the baby also has narcotics in his or her system from the birth, they may not breathe deeply (one of the reason they have 'antagonists' is to give the baby if they stop breathing due to the drugs they give in labor) to clear that gunk.
Now, the uterus is a sterile environment. The hospital is far from it. As soon as the baby starts to breathe air, he or she is exposed to every bug in there. Mucus/fluid+germs=pneumonia.
There may be other reasons for it, but that's what came to mind since it's something I talk about in class.
K. Wildner
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www.kimwildner.com
My son was born with fluid in his lungs from being born sunny side up as they call it and they did all that but he had to stay in the hospital for a week and I had to go and they but him on antibiotics. It sounds like they were being cautious right away like they did with my son.
I'm an RN here in St Paul and don't find it odd at all. I saw you have researched it some and it can happen. Amoxicillin sounds like the right course of action to take. Did you baby have some meconium present at birth? Sounds to me like you got great care and the facility was proactive and correct to keep the baby longer.
That is good they caught it when they did. My son had that also and doctor released him anyway. During his two week visit he turned blue due to lack of oxygen. Well, we got him to Children's hospitial and he had pneumonia along with RSV. So, after 4 days in ICU and another 3 in a regular room he finally went home. Now, he is a healthy 9 year old.
I've never heard of a baby being born with pnuemonia but I have heard of babies catching some pretty serious things due to nurses not washing hands and mistakes being made. Not trying to scare you I've just heard of things like that.
My daughter was premature and was in the special care nursery for 2 weeks. We brought her home and couldn't figure out why she wouldn't suck a bottle and why she had white stuff in her mouth. They sent my baby home with thrush (yeast infection) in the mouth. I was furious that when she was discharged from the hosiptal and had been ok'd by a neonatologist this wasn't picked up on. I was alos mad the entire time my daughter was in her incubator her id bracelet was taped on the outside of her incubator. I'm like well I hope I have the right baby. She looks identical to me so I'm not worried about that but YES hospitals screw up.
The best thing to probaly do is bring it to your pediatricians attention immediately. My pediatrician isn't connected to the hospital I had my daughter at so she wouldn't cover up there mistakes or anything she's a honest doctor too.
Good luck and congrats on the new baby!
That is more common than you would ever think. Basically your baby's lungs were not completely clear after birth, and pnemonia develops quickly with babies. My daughter had it too, for a day. There were three other moms on my floor with the same thing, so it's pretty common. It's a good thing they caught it, though!!! Congratulations with the new little one.
I work in the medical field so along with being a mom you sometimes know too much. But if you had a vaginal birth, the baby may have inhaled some fluid during birth. This could show up looking or turn into pneumonia quickly after birth. It can happen easily and it was good that the hospital caught it. I'm glad it all worked out for you.
My daughter was born with pneumonia but it was completely different. She was overdue, had a bowel movement inside me and was breathing in the toxins. They told me she was a miracle baby, because they honestly didn't think she was gonna make it.
She was hopitalized for 10 days. She could not be dressed and I couldnt even hold her or touch her for 5 days because her breathing would get irregular.
Whe my son was born they were watching him for pneumonia or something simular. When he was born he had been stuck for a little over 3min. The said he had fluid in his lungs from the birth and watched him carefuly. He was fine. I'm glad your daughter is doing well now.
I had taken in alot of fluid in the lung when I came out and had infant pneumonia. No worries. :) I am now fine and 30.
That is really odd. I would do some checking around to find out what really happen. Request the records from the hospital and get a second opinion from someone not connected to the hospital.
--J
