CASE HISTORY A Tiny 1-Kg (2.2-Pound)female Neonate (Newborn)was Born Two Months Premature.The

question 34

Essay

CASE HISTORY
A tiny 1-kg (2.2-pound)female neonate (newborn)was born two months premature.The baby had extreme difficulty breathing and had to be intubated (a breathing tube inserted).The mother,at the time of admission,had complained of mild diarrhea and abnormal abdominal pain unrelated to her pregnancy.The infectious disease doctor who was called in to consult on the case immediately recognized the likely problem and ordered blood cultures be performed on the infant.The infant was also started on intravenous antibiotics.Two days later,the lab reported finding a Gram-positive bacillus-Listeria monocytogenes-in the infant's blood.This same organism was the cause of the mother's diarrhea.The mother had unwittingly ingested some unpasteurized cheese contaminated with this pathogen and developed listeriosis.The organism entered the mother's bloodstream and was transmitted across the placenta to the fetus prior to birth.
The maternofetal or placental barrier is a mechanism that helps to protect the fetus from infection during its development.The adult human has several regions with similar levels of innate resistance to pathogen transfer.Compare and contrast at least one additional barrier that separates the natural microbiome from its host to the maternofetal barrier.

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Definitions:

Superhuman Abilities

Extraordinary powers or capabilities beyond what is normally possible for humans.

Compassion

A deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering, combined with a desire to alleviate that suffering.

Scientific Experiments

Controlled procedures carried out to investigate relationships between variables and observe the effects of manipulation of one variable on another.

Pain

An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage.