Patient's question:
Premature infant at 20 days, currently around 20 days old. It has been discovered that the child's facial muscles around the mouth are tense, with the upper and lower lips tight. Currently, it is suspected that the newborn may have tetanus.Doctor's answer:
Neonatal tetanus, the spores generally enter through the umbilical cord wound, and occasionally through external wounds. It can develop as early as 2 days after birth and as late as 14 days or more. However, the incubation period is usually 5-7 days, which is why it is commonly known as "four-six wind" or "seven-day wind."Early symptoms of neonatal tetanus include jaw stiffness, difficulty suckling, followed by facial muscle spasms resulting in a grimacing expression. This is followed by intermittent tetanic spasms of the limbs, rigid spasm of the rectus abdominis muscle like a board, and nuchal rigidity with opisthotonos. Spasms of the respiratory and laryngeal muscles can lead to asphyxiation, respiratory failure, and cardiac failure.
Diagnosis primarily relies on typical and unique clinical manifestations and a history of poor sterilization during the delivery process or lack of disinfection for local trauma to the newborn during the delivery process. If possible, a etiological examination can be conducted, but it lacks clinical significance.