A Lethargic Child’s Signs and Symptoms

Is Your Baby Being Inactive?

Every newborn child behaves differently. The sleeping pattern, playing, and baby activity vary from child to child. Normally the babies will be active and if your child is inactive and lethargic it’s time to consult your doctor. The basic symptoms of childhood sickness are fever, rash, vomiting, cough, pain, and headache. If the child has one more mentioned sign, you need to consult the doctor and get proper treatment.

What is Lethargy?

Recognising your child’s sickness is very important to give your child the help he needs. It is important to understand lethargy. Lethargy is a state of low energy and inactive and it is dangerous if we don’t take proper treatment. If the baby is not acting like himself and is extremely low. You should try to look after the signs of lethargy carefully and seek medical care when required.

Signs of Lethargy in the Baby

A child is lethargic when the baby shows the following signs.

• Pain: If the baby is having pain in the stomach, ears, throat, and pain during urination.
• Diarrhea: The loss of liquids can cause dehydration in babies, which can be dangerous.
• Fever: Fever is a common symptom in babies. But if the temperature increases more than 38°C you need to consult the doctor.
• Vomiting: Th upset in the body (stomach) leads to vomiting.
• Rash: These are the most common in children and this rash is due to allergic reactions and infections in the body.

Causes of Lethargy in the Baby

Lethargy is a medical emergency. The causes of lethargy in infants are:

1. Infection

• Meningitis is an infection of the brain that is caused by bacteria.
• The child will be less responsive and listless and has a fever, sore throat, headache, disturbance by the lights, pale skin colour, no eating or drinking adequately, and reduced urine output.
• Sepsis is the spread of infection throughout the body via blood. The infection could be bacterial, viral, or fungal. These infectious agents can be acquired by the baby during or after the birth.
• Some of the symptoms of sepsis in the baby are lethargy, difficulty breathing or feeding, and unstable body temperature.

2. Hypoglycaemia

Hypoglycaemia is low blood sugar. There are several reasons for low blood sugar in the baby. These are:

• The presence of uncontrolled diabetes in the mother, which leads to increased levels of insulin in the foetus.
• Slow growth of the foetus before birth or premature birth can cause hypoglycaemia in newborn babies.
• Sepsis or infection could be another reason.
• Liver diseases in the baby or congenital problems can also lead to hypoglycaemia in the baby.
• The baby can have low blood sugar when the blood types of the baby and mother are not compatible.

3. Infant Botulism

It is a bacterial infection of the intestines of infants. It is caused by C. botulinum bacteria. The symptoms are:

• Constipation.
• Weak cry.
• Fussiness.
• Droopy eyelids.
• Lethargy.

4. Others

Several other reasons for lethargy in babies are:

• Increased intracranial pressure: It signifies increased pressure on the brain resulting from the swelling of the brain or elevated fluids in the brain. It can cause nausea, vomiting, headache, and lethargy.
• Dehydration: The child has dry eyes, does not have tears while crying, pees less often, is inactive, and has lost weight. Dehydration could be the result of vomiting or diarrhoea.
• Allergy: A severe allergic reaction includes vomiting, difficulty swallowing, and lethargy, trouble breathing.

When to Call a Doctor?

Seek medical care for your child if you see that:

• The child is drowsy or extremely sluggish.
• The child has pale or blue skin.
• The child is having seizures or fits.
• The child has a bulging soft spot on top of his head.
• The child has trouble breathing.
• The child is not eating well.
• The child is vomiting or has loose motions continuously.
• The child wets a few diapers more than usual.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the child’s activity and moment are altered when he is sick. It is normal for a child to be drowsy, tired, or fussy when he is not well. If the child is awake and alert, but not active as usual it may not be a problem. If your baby is listless, inactive, and difficult to wake up, you should seek medical attention.