Patient's question:
My baby was born 6 weeks earlier than the expected due date and was found to have neonatal hard edema. What are the causes of neonatal hard edema?Doctor's answer:
One of the main causes of neonatal hardening syndrome is severe infection, which typically occurs during cold seasons. Since a newborn's body temperature does not rise due to infection, and newborns have relatively large surface areas and rich blood vessels with less subcutaneous brown fat, if the ambient temperature is low, it can lead to excessive heat loss in the infant. This causes the subcutaneous fat to solidify and harden, while peripheral capillaries dilate and leak, forming edema.