AN INFANT CASE STUDY

An Infant Case Study



An Infant Case Study

Introduction to the Case

This paper involves a male infant, Sam, was born to Jane and Roberto. Jane works in the city as a medical transcriptionist, but requested 12 weeks of family leave effective immediately upon Sam's birth. Sam was born six weeks premature, by Cesarean delivery. His Apgar score at one minute was five—after receiving oxygen, his Apgar score at five minutes was eight. Apart from the first few minutes after birth, Sam has not required oxygen or respiratory assistance. Due to his prematurity, Sam stayed in the hospital for 72 hours before he was discharged.

Jane drank occasionally throughout the pregnancy, but reported drinking most heavily during the last trimester of her pregnancy, which was about the time Roberto got laid off from his job. There is suspicion, although not confirmed, that Sam has Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Sam is a fussy eater and does not sleep through the night.

Roberto and Jane live in a house in a rural area. They do not have a network of friends and family who live nearby who can help, but Jane's mother has offered to move in with them temporarily. Roberto and Jane's mother get along very well. Jane is debating whether she should reduce her family leave and go back to work earlier than she had planned.

Discussion on the Case

Most women know that smoking, alcohol and drugs carry risks for their unborn baby. By cons, they may know that stress during pregnancy is also a risk factor that can have a significant impact on the developing fetus. In fact, stress during pregnancy can have lasting effects on the child, including their health, development and function of the immune system and cognitive development.

Depression in new mothers has profound negative effects, often ...