Newborns can also get dengue

Dengue can usually affect people of any age, and experts say that newborns (from birth to 28 days of age) can also be infected with this virus, although this is rare.

Professor Abid Hossain Mollah, a pediatrician at BIRDEM Hospital, said that newborns can get dengue in two ways. First, if the mother is infected with dengue during pregnancy, the virus can touch the baby through the placenta. Second, after birth, a dengue-infected mosquito can directly bite the newborn and cause infection.

Symptoms and identification:
The symptoms of a newborn with dengue can be similar to other infections. These include—

Fever (sometimes high)

Rash on the body

Not wanting to drink breast milk

Repeated vomiting

Excessive crying or drooling

Difficulty breathing

Bleeding from the nose, mouth or anus

Different blood tests are required to diagnose dengue, such as CBC, dengue NS1, dengue antibodies, liver SGPT, prothrombin time. In addition, it is important to consider the prevalence of dengue around the area and the history of fever in the pregnant mother.

Precautions and treatment:

For newborns with dengue—

FEED the mother repeatedly

Use paracetamol in certain doses if the fever is high

If possible, keep the baby in the hospital and keep him under constant medical supervision

Doctors have warned that if the newborn shows any warning signs such as swollen abdomen, cold hands and feet, vomiting, bleeding, the child should be admitted to the hospital without delay and intensive treatment should be started. If complications arise, immediate action can be taken.