[Neonatal dehydration (dehydration fever) in newborn infants]

Area of Science:

• Neonatalogy
• Pediatric Nutrition
• Public Health

Background:

• Breast-feeding malnutrition can lead to dehydration in infants.
• Identifying characteristics of affected infants is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key characteristics of infants suffering from dehydration due to breast-feeding malnutrition.
• To analyze risk factors and clinical presentation in affected newborns.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 54 newborn infants admitted with dehydration.
• Analysis of maternal and infant data, including birth weight, weight loss, temperature, and serum sodium levels.
• Comparison with a control group for statistical significance.

Main Results:

• 35 infants had elevated temperatures (37.6-39.7°C).
• 37 infants experienced significant weight loss (8-23.3% of birth weight).
• 20 infants had hypernatraemic dehydration (serum sodium 147-159 mmol/l), with 4 losing <8% birth weight.
• Overrepresentation of large for gestational age (LGA) infants (p=0.003).
• Maternal age ≥30 and primigravida status were associated with increased risk (p=0.05 and p=0.002).
• Positive correlation between weight loss and high serum sodium levels (p=0.01).

Conclusions:

• Elevated temperature can indicate neonatal dehydration and malnutrition in breast-fed infants.
• Hypernatraemic dehydration is possible even with <10% birth weight loss.
• Large for gestational age infants are at increased risk for neonatal dehydration.