management
Last reviewed 01/2018
The management of grunting depends on a number of principals:
- if there is a potentially serious reason for the grunting then the infant should be admitted to a special care baby unit and started on intravenous antibiotics after a septic screen. The particular organism feared is infection with group B streptococcus. Indicators of potential serious infection include:
- prolonged rupture of membranes
- known maternal infective illness
- preterm delivery
- if grunting occurs immediately after birth, and there is a benign cause for the grunting, and there are no serious risk factors, then the baby might be observed for an hour before admission to a special care baby unit. This applies particularly in uncomplicated caesarian deliveries, where a greater amount of lung fluid must be absorbed physiologically, or in precipitous normal vaginal deliveries.
The underlying principal is:
- if in doubt, admit, perform a septic screen and start on antibiotic therapy