Yahoo News Kate Lawler’s three-week-old baby treated in hospital for third time after ‘rough 24 hours’ - what is paronychia?
Kate Lawler has revealed she is "exhausted" after taking her baby daughter, Noa, to hospital after a "rough 24 hours".
It is the third time in three weeks the newborn has been in hospital, with the latest trip to A&E coming after Noa’s temperature went above 38 degrees.
The reality star, 40, said Noa had been treated in hospital for an infection and has had an “unlucky” start to life.
Praising the hospital staff who looked after her daughter, the new mum wrote on Instagram: “The paediatric team, doctors, nurses yet again took great care of Noa and I can’t thank them enough.
“I’d love to be enjoying this newborn ‘bubble’ as everyone calls it but not sure how much more I can take.
“Noa has been so unlucky these first three weeks of her life but hopefully this is the last of our trips to A&E.”
Lawler, who won Big Brother in 2002, added she had been told Noa “likely” had a viral infection and doctors have told her she can now take her daughter home.
Previously, the radio presenter revealed that her daughter, who was born on 11 February, had been taken to A&E after her fingertip became "red, hot and swollen".
Lawler went on to reveal on Instagram that they had to stay in the hospital overnight after her daughter had been diagnosed with paronychia, which is an inflammation of the skin.
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The radio DJ also previously revealed a friend had taken her son straight to A&E after seeing her Instagram stories about her daughter's finger infection and noticing her baby had the same thing.
Sharing an image of her holding baby Noa with a bandaged hand she wrote on Instagram: "If your child shows any symptoms of Paronychia, it’s best to get it seen to as soon as possible because finger infections (especially in babies) can turn nasty quite quickly," Lawler wrote.
"If the skin around their nail is red, swollen, there’s pus or it’s hot to touch, also if they have a temperature don’t wait until the following day, get it checked out," she advised.
"Thankfully Noa responded well to the antibiotics she was given in hospital and it didn’t develop into something more serious."
The new mum also opened up about the rollercoaster of emotions she has been feeling since welcoming her daughter.
Alongside several images of her motherhood journey, Lawler described the experience as a "mixture of magical, traumatic, painful, tiring and informative".
"1 day since I last cried. 2 days since her first bath," she started her post. "3 days since we drove to A&E with her. 4 days since our first dog walk with Noa. 5 days since we learnt how to use a sling. 6 days since the doggies came home. 7 days since we got home from hospital."
She also described the last week as the "most overwhelming experience of [her] life".
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What is paronychia?
According to the NHS paronychia is an infection of the finger or toe where the nail and skin meet at the side or base of the finger or toe nail.
A paronychia can occur following an apparently minor trauma to the finger or toe, such as a splinter or thorn.
It can also occur as a result of nail biting, finger sucking or biting/picking at the skin next to the nail.
Redness and inflammation of the nail fold is actually quite common in babies and may be made worse by the baby sucking his/her fingers or by trimming the baby’s fingernails.
Healthline details some of the symptoms of paronychia as:-
redness of the skin around your nail
tenderness of the skin around your nail
pus-filled blisters
changes in nail shape, colour, or texture
detachment of your nail
Occasionally the paronychia may become infected. If this happens the infection can be treated with antibiotics.
If you are concerned your baby or child may be suffering from paronychia it is important to seek medical advice as soon as possible.
If the skin around your baby's nails has become sore, red, swollen and warm - this can be a sign of an infection so it is important to contact your GP.
Additional reporting PA Real Life.
