children s health issues
Illness and Death in Infants
Illness in Infants
Parents should see, hold, and interact with their infant as soon as possible and as much as possible. Even with severely ill infants, parents often can help feed, bathe, and change their infant. Skin-to-skin contact between parents and infants is encouraged, because infants who experience skin-to-skin contact typically gain weight faster than those who do not. Breastfeeding may be possible, even if the infant must be fed through a tube at first. Many neonatal nurseries help families store and use breast milk for their child. Many hospitals encourage parents to stay at their infant's bedside around the clock and even participate in family-oriented hospital rounds where they can interact with doctors, nurses, and other staff and discuss treatment plans. If an infant has a Overview of Birth Defects , parents may feel guilt, sadness, anger, or other emotions. Many feel even more guilt because they have such feelings. Seeing and touching the child can help the parents look beyond the birth defect and see the infant as a whole person. Information about the condition, possible treatments, and the infant's prognosis can help the parents adjust psychologically and plan for the best medical care. Counseling sessions may help some parents. 