Question

What are the preventive measures for neonatal hard edema?

Answer

Neonatal hard edema is a syndrome that may be caused by cold injury, infection, or preterm birth, leading to hardening of the skin and subcutaneous fat. It often accompanies hypothermia and may even result in multiple organ dysfunction. Preventive measures include:

  1. Proper Rewarming: Ensure the newborn’s body temperature gradually returns to a normal level.
  2. Ensuring Heat and Fluid Supply: Meet at least basic metabolic needs and gradually increase to normal requirements.
  3. Controlling Fluid Volume: Generally control at 60-80 mL/kg・d, infused at a rate of approximately 4 mL/kg・h to avoid excessive fluid intake when renal function is compromised.
  4. Appropriate Medication Use: Use medication based on the organ function status.
  5. For hypoglycemic children, appropriate glucose dosage should be increased. These measures help prevent and treat neonatal hard edema, but specific treatment plans should be determined by a professional physician based on the newborn’s specific condition.