Differential Diagnosis for Newborn with Sleeping and Feeding Difficulties, Vomiting, Diarrhea, and Sweating
- Single Most Likely Diagnosis
- Congenital adrenal hyperplasia: This condition can lead to an imbalance in hormones, causing a variety of symptoms including feeding difficulties, vomiting, diarrhea, and sweating due to the potential for adrenal crisis. It's a common cause of these symptoms in newborns.
- Other Likely Diagnoses
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): This condition can cause vomiting and feeding difficulties, and while it might not directly cause sweating, the discomfort could lead to increased sweating in a newborn.
- Infections (sepsis, meningitis): Newborns with infections can exhibit a wide range of symptoms including feeding difficulties, vomiting, diarrhea, and sweating due to the body's response to the infection.
- Hypoglycemia: Low blood sugar can cause sweating, feeding difficulties, and other symptoms listed, especially in newborns who have limited glycogen stores.
- Do Not Miss Diagnoses
- Congenital heart disease: While it might not directly cause all the symptoms listed, congenital heart disease can lead to feeding difficulties and sweating due to increased energy expenditure and potential for heart failure.
- Intestinal obstruction: Conditions like pyloric stenosis or intestinal atresia can cause vomiting and feeding difficulties. Diarrhea might not be as common, but an obstruction could lead to sweating due to pain or distress.
- Neonatal abstinence syndrome: Newborns withdrawing from maternal substance use can exhibit a range of symptoms including sweating, feeding difficulties, and gastrointestinal distress.
- Rare Diagnoses
- Mitochondrial disorders: These are a group of disorders that can affect many systems in the body and might present with a variety of symptoms including those listed, though they are less common.
- Neuroblastoma: A rare tumor that can cause a range of symptoms depending on its location, including sweating and gastrointestinal symptoms if it affects abdominal structures.
- Disorders of fatty acid oxidation: These metabolic disorders can lead to episodes of illness with symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and sweating, especially during times of fasting or when the body is under stress.