changes in child's health status
Warning signs or red flags are changes in your child's health status that you as a parent or caregiver need to identify early.
Thanks to this you will be able to save the life of your child.
Warning signs or red flags:
- poor diet.
- Difficulty gaining weight.
- Change in bowel movements.
- Presence of vomiting.
- Changes in skin color.
- profuse sweating.
- Irritability.
- Breathing disturbances.
Red Flags or Warning Signs are alterations in the physical appearance, behavior, vital signs that you parents/caregivers measure daily (changes in weight, heart rate, oxygen saturation) or in the routine behavior of the baby.
poor diet:
Poor nutrition is an early warning sign, so you should be aware of how your child eats.
A boy or girl must consume at least 100 milliliters per Kilogram of weight daily, that is, if they weigh 4,000 grams, it means that they weigh 4 Kilos and 4 Kilograms per 100 milliliters is equal to 400, meaning that they should consume at least 400 milliliters per day divided into 8 shots during 24 hours.
If after a full day the child takes less than 100 milliliters per kilogram of weight, consult your nearest doctor for emergencies.
Do not hesitate to go to the emergency room to seek care and demand to be evaluated immediately because your son or daughter is considered a high-risk patient due to age, illness and the presence of the alarm sign.
Difficulty gaining weight:
The goal of daily weight gain in children during the interstage period (between the first and second surgery) is 20 to 30 grams per day. Your child has trouble gaining weight if they
have any of the following symptoms:
- Weight loss greater than 30 grams in one day.
- Weight loss or no weight gain for 3 consecutive days.
- Does not gain 20gr. on 3 consecutive days.
- Feed acceptance is less than 100 milliliters per kilogram of weight per day.
- It takes longer to feed.
If after a full day the child presents one of the above symptoms, consult your nearest doctor for emergencies.
Changes in bowel movements:
Diarrhea, along with vomiting, can lead to dehydration, and in patients with synthetic pulmonary fistulas or stents, they increase the risk of obstruction.
Diarrhea is considered when the stools have any of the following characteristics:
- More liquid bowel movements than normal.
- Different color than usual.
- Intense or fetid smell.
- The diaper fails to hold the feces and they come out staining the clothes.
- Increased frequency of bowel movements.
- Presence of red or black blood in the stool.
Diarrhea is considered when children's stools are watery more than three times a day. In babies there is an evident change in the appearance of the child's usual feces "like parrot eggs". Remember that it is normal for the baby to pass stools right after eating.
Keep in mind that it is better to discuss any change in diet with your doctor before doing so in order to avoid intolerance to any type of food.
Presence of vomiting:
Although it is common for children under 3 months to have reflux, you have to know how to differentiate it from vomiting. Vomiting is characterized by:
- The baby fusses, remains irritable, restless or sweaty
- Sour bib, bad odor, or irritation around the mouth
- It is not related to changes in the baby's position.
Changes in skin color:
You have to monitor the color of the child's skin, if this turns bluer than usual or if the lips and fingers turn very blue or pale, you should consult the nearest health center.
This may be because not enough blood is getting to the child's lungs, causing the skin to turn pale, blue, or purple.
If you go to the emergency room, don't forget to use the oximeter and write down the value you record to show it to the doctor who go take care of the child. If necessary, take the booklets (yours and the one with information for medical personnel).
In addition, you can suggest to the doctor or personal assistants that they watch the videos of the program for the care of the child.
If you have difficulty measuring oximetry, prioritize your visit to the emergency room and do not wait for it to be taken.
Do not hesitate to go to the emergency room to seek care and demand to be evaluated immediately because your son or daughter is considered a high-risk patient due to age, illness and the presence of the alarm sign.
profuse sweating:
If your son or daughter sweats profusely without being exposed to heat, this may be a sign that something is wrong.
Sweating is a symptom of physical exertion, so the child may be doing strenuous physical exertion due to cardiovascular decompensation.
Check with your other children or yourself if it is hot where you are, and if not, sweating may be a warning sign that requires medical attention. be a warning sign that requires immediate medical attention.
Irritability:
If your child cries easily or remains irritable despite using the usual calming measures, this may be a warning sign.
Uncontrollable crying or the constant feeling of discomfort on the part of the child, with gasping and pushing can be a warning sign. Do not hesitate to consult for emergencies and request to be evaluated immediately.
respiratory distress:
It is defined as having difficult and uncomfortable breathing. Children may show signs of not getting enough air and have signs such as increased breathing rate, increased heart rate (Rapid heart), changes in skin color, often around the mouth (turning bluish or pale), breathing noises such as gasping or snorting when expelling air, nasal flaring (the wings of the nose move when breathing), retractions or sinking of the ribs (intercostal retractions), cold sweats, changes in the state of consciousness finding that the child may be very unreactive "very sleepy" and/or irritable.
Remember that oximetry is a value that also helps us know if there are difficulties with breathing. The values must be greater than 75% and less than 90%, if it goes out of these ranges it is considered an alarm sign.
Fever:
It consists of elevated body temperature, the normal value for any age is 37 ° C. Although its presence can be suspected by touch, it should always be corroborated by measuring the temperature with a thermometer. Fever is considered when the temperature measured in the armpit with a thermometer is greater than 38°C.
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