Patient's question:
A long time ago, I heard that a woman in the village gave birth to a baby, but the baby died of tetanus. The whole family was very sad. I wonder if the incidence of tetanus in newborns is high?Doctor's answer:
Tetanus in newborns is a serious infectious disease caused by improper disinfection when the umbilical cord is broken and Clostridium tetani invades the umbilical area. This disease typically occurs on the 6th or 7th day after birth, hence its common names such as "Sìliùfèng" (Four-Six Wind) and "Qīrìfēng" (Seven-Day Wind). The clinical manifestations include generalized tonic spasms of the skeletal muscles, a (grimacing expression), and jaw locking. Before the liberation, many newborns died of tetanus due to outdated delivery methods. After the liberation, China vigorously promoted scientific delivery methods, significantly reducing the incidence of tetanus. However, due to a lack of awareness campaigns, the incidence remains relatively high in remote areas. In 1984, after investigating developing countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported in a comprehensive survey that the incidence of neonatal tetanus accounted for 5-60 per thousand live births.