Factors Contributing to Dehydration Fever in Neonate, A Teaching Hospital Study

Abstract

AbstractBackground: Most babies lose weight in the first few days after birth, as excess extracellular fluid is excreted. A very small number of breast-fed infants do not establish an adequate milk intake, in addition to other factors they shall continue to lose weight and develop fever.Objective: to find out factors contributing to dehydration fever in the neonate.Subjects and methods: The study included 34 neonates aged 1-14 days admitted to neonatal ward in Central Teaching Hospital for Children/Baghdad, over the period between 1st of June 2006 and 15th of September 2006 and were presented with fever. The control group included three apparently healthy neonates (102) for each febrile neonate in same age.Results: The study group included 34 neonates, with mean weight loss of 17.8±5%. The following neonatal factors; mean weight loss, over clothing and warming of the neonate, inefficient environmental ventilation and air conditioning, activity and consciousness profile, pink diaper, delayed or decreased stool frequency (< 3 stool/day), over clothing and warming were all significantly more common in the study group. While the following maternal factors; primiparous pregnancy, caesarian section deliveries, breast milk adequacy, presence of education of technique and importance of breast feeding, breast conditions associated with breast feeding difficulties and delayed 1st breast feeding are significantly different in study groupConclusions: In breastfed neonates, dehydration is a serious complication, and prompt initiation of breast feeding after delivery, especially caesarian section delivery and intervention if problems with breast feeding occur.Keywords: dehydration fever, breast feeding, hyperthermia of newborn