Question
An 83-day-old female infant, who developed neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy due to difficult labor at birth, is currently undergoing rehabilitation treatment. The baby often exhibits movements similar to stretching lazily, with a flushed face and humming sounds, as if feeling uncomfortable. In a semi-asleep state, there are also instances of the baby’s eyes rolling back. How should this situation be handled?
Answer
Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is a brain injury caused by perinatal asphyxia and oxygen deficiency, which may appear within 12 hours after birth and include symptoms such as overexcitement, drowsiness, dullness, changes in muscle tone, increased or decreased primitive reflexes. Severe cases may present with elevated anterior fontanelle tension, seizures, or frequent attack , as well as brainstem symptoms. For this infant, it is necessary to understand if there was a history of asphyxia at birth (i.e., Apgar score), and whether there were clinical symptoms such as limb spasms or screaming. If there is no obvious history of asphyxia and severe symptoms,