Question
A friend’s child may experience newborn hypoxia due to an extended labor process. What symptoms might newborn hypoxia present?
Answer
When newborns suffer from hypoxia, they may exhibit the following symptoms: dull reactions, drowsiness, weak responses to stimuli, faint crying, insufficient suckling strength, low muscle tone, and possibly skin discoloration with purple or blue lips, as well as rapid or irregular breathing. If these symptoms occur, immediate medical attention should be sought for a cranial and brain CT scan to assess the severity of hypoxia. In some cases, medication to nourish brain cells may be necessary, and for severe hypoxia, hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be required.