Patient's question:
In one or two days, Third Brother said his nephew got tetanus. Big Aunt, who had just given birth a week ago, noticed something was wrong and immediately took him to the hospital. The doctors there immediately arranged for him to be hospitalized. The nephew couldn't even cry, his face and lips were already turning purple. What are the symptoms of umbilical cord tetanus?Doctor's answer:
Tetanus is an acute infectious disease characterized by generalized tonic spasms caused by the invasion of Clostridium tetani into human wounds, which grows and multiplies in anaerobic environments, producing neurotoxic exotoxins. In the past, umbilical cord infection typically caused neonatal tetanus with a latency period of 7 days, hence it was also known as "seven-day wind." The symptoms of tetanus often manifest as infants being unable to suck milk in the early stages of the disease because they become restless and cry when they want to sit or stand. This is further developed into a grinning expression due to teeth clenching, frowning, and lip twitching. Whole-body convulsions occur during the exhibition. This process is completed within 24 hours, a period of rapid infant development.