Get to know about this infant disorder/ Meconium Aspiration Syndrome

It is no longer new to our knowledge that Meconium aspiration syndrome is a disease that is associated with little children. Newly born infants are under the influence of this disorder if the mother does not take proper care of her baby during its developing stage.

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Far from the above explanation, a child gets in contact with Meconium aspiration syndrome when still in the womb or during labor, and this issue results when the baby inhales the meconium. When this happens, the child finds it difficult to breathe as this tissue tends to block the air passage which is the baby's lung, thus evoking serious suffocation.

Before we proceeding to this issue suitably, let us see what the meconium is.
The ancient Greeks are the first people to discover meconium and how it does affect children regarding the symptoms they observed. From observation, this tissue looks like a greenish sterile fecal substance that is found in the intestines of a developed baby before labor. Other substances like intestinal epithelial cells, mucus, lanugo, and intestinal secretions such as bile are all located inside the meconium.

Intrauterine stress can force out the meconium from the intestine into the amniotic fluid before the delivery of a child. In such a case, the meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF) is aspirated by the fetus into the airways of the lungs. Hence, this is what we understood as the Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). When this occurs, the child suffers difficult breathing which influences the alveoli of the baby. This situation can lead to death.

In some ideals, after a day or two, a baby tends to eliminate the meconium out immediately after it commences on natural nutrition.

Causes of MAS

1. Complication during labor
2. labor that combated for a long period
3. Umbilical cord contraction due to shifting the position of the baby.
4. Lack of oxygen supply while the fetus is still in the womb due to cord contraction.
5. Stressing the uterine
6. Pregnant woman, battling with a chronic respiratory condition.
7. Underdeveloped circulatory system or abnormal blood pressure in the fetus.
8. Overdue date or postmaturity

Symptoms

These are the symptoms that are usually associated with MAS.
The amniotic fluid is affected with greenish meconium or strain. Again, because the baby is affiliated with this disease, it will have a Change in color on their body. That's their body turns blue (cyanosis).

There's difficult breathing which results in fast breathing during respiration. Before birth, the baby's heartbeat will be slow. The baby exhibits a poor Apgar score. This implies the drastic burden during the birth process

Diagnosis and Test

To diagnose Meconium aspiration syndrome, doctors may want to conduct some tests which I will be listing out below
There will be a need to investigate the supply of oxygen to the baby by carrying out the blood gas analysis test.

To identify the meconium, a test like Chest X-ray is employed to detect the streaky or patches. This test will help bring out the meconium in the baby's lung.

With the help of a stethoscope, experts get to study the normality of the baby's breath by listening to the baby's chest. They will detect coarse and crack sounds if the baby is affected with MAS.

To examine the vocal cords and to observe the meconium stain in the vocal cords, the Laryngoscope is put into the throat to get such detail.

_Treatment

No treatment is commenced on the baby if when born, there is no issue of meconium. That's if the baby is sound and healthy after birth.

Available Specialists should endeavor to verify the
amniotic fluid to know whether the meconium is found in it after the delivery of the newborn.

Doctors should insert a sanction tube into the trachea if the newborn is not acting lively. The sanction tube is to check if there is a meconium substance in the lungs. The baby should be aided by placing a face mask that is attached to a bag and an oxygen mixture that will inflate the baby’s lung when not breathing properly.

Medications like Antibiotics (ampicillin and gentamycin) should be given to the infant to help protect them from infections.

Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygen (ECMO), should be employed when the above treatments fail to relieve the problem. This will support the supply of oxygen to the infant.

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