Patient's question:
My daughter is 12 days old and not eating enough breast milk. She falls asleep while eating and doesn't wake up no matter how I try to wake her. She doesn't seem to cry as much as other babies, and she's not very active either. Is this normal? Could it be related to a brief period of asphyxia during her birth?Additional Question 1: What is the treatment for HIE?
Additional Question 2: My daughter was born via vaginal delivery with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck twice. She didn't cry much at birth, and her crying was not continuous. She was resuscitated and recovered. Apgar scores: 1 minute 7, 5 minutes 10, 10 minutes 10. She was given induction medication before birth.
Doctor's answer:
Abnormal. Breastfed babies should have more frequent bowel movements compared to formula-fed babies, and their stools are usually looser and have a sour odor. For babies this small, it's normal to have 2-5 bowel movements per day. However, if a baby hasn't had a bowel movement for 12 days, there are two possibilities. One is that the baby isn't getting enough to eat, so the stool can't form. But even in that case, it shouldn't be 12 days without a bowel movement. The other possibility is that the baby is experiencing constipation and needs to be taken to the hospital for a check-up to determine the specific cause, followed by appropriate medication.