Monitoring of the clinical manifestations of skeletal birth injuries

Abstract

One of the most common types of birth injuries is locomotor trauma: cephalohematomas of the parietal and occipital regions, injuries of the clavicles and tubular bones. The main clinical manifestations of birth trauma are subperiosteal hemorrhages, fractures, local swelling, limited movements; common symptoms (a negative response and a baby’s crying, changes in heart rate, cardiac auscultatory pattern, blood pressure, pale skin, etc.). The purpose of this study is to improve the quality of medical care for the newborns, by monitoring the clinical manifestations of birth trauma.

Sixty-seven newborn infants with skeletal birth trauma were examined. Significant changes were found in the function of the cardiovascular system (reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure, increased pulse pressure, tachycardia, more rarely bradycardia, pale skin, and muffled heart sounds); indicators of pain syndrome (moderate and severe pain according to the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) in one-third of the patients); electrocardiographic changes (shortening of the QT and RR intervals, extension of the QRS complex, increased systolic index); neurosonographic changes (periventricular edema and hypoxic changes in all newborns with birth trauma).

The findings are objective criteria for the severity of neonatal conditions and will assist in optimizing combination therapy for little patients with skeletal birth trauma.