Initial Care of the Newborn
The successful transition of a fetus, which is immersed in
amniotic fluid and totally dependent on the placenta for nutrition and oxygen,
to a crying, air-breathing baby is a source of wonder. Healthy newborns (age
birth to 1 month) and infants (age 1 month to 1 year) need good care to ensure
their normal development and continued health.
Immediately after the normal delivery of a baby, the doctor
or nurse gently clears mucus and other material from the mouth, nose, and
throat with a suction bulb. The newborn is then able to take a breath. Two
clamps are placed on the newborn's umbilical cord, side by side, and the
umbilical cord is then cut between the clamps. The newborn is dried and laid
carefully on the mother's abdomen with skin-to-skin contact or on a sterile,
warm blanket. Not all deliveries follow a standard pattern. For example, some
women need to have a cesarean delivery or have complications of labor and
delivery. In some cases, the newborn requires some special attention by the
medical staff after birth.
Cutting the Umbilical Cord
Soon after a baby is born, two clamps are placed on the
umbilical cord, and the cord is cut between the clamps. The clamp on the cord's
stump is removed within 24 hours after birth. The stump should be kept clean
and dry. Some doctors recommend applying an alcohol solution to the stump
daily. The stump falls off on its own in a week or two.
Cutting the Umbilical Cord
The doctor examines the newborn for any obvious
abnormalities or signs of distress. A full physical examination comes later
(typically within 24 hours of birth). The newborn's overall condition is
recorded at 1 minute and at 5 minutes after birth using the Apgar score. A low
Apgar score is a sign that the newborn is having difficulty and may need extra
assistance with breathing or blood circulation. Once the newborn is stable, the
nurses obtain the head circumference, weight, and length (see also Physical
Growth of Infants and Children).
Helping Babies Breathe at Birth
Keeping the newborn warm is critical. As soon as possible,
the newborn is wrapped in lightweight clothing (swaddled), and the head is
covered to reduce the loss of body heat. A few drops of an antibiotic, such as
erythromycin, tetracycline, or silver nitrate or, in some countries, povidone
iodine, are placed into the eyes to prevent infection from any harmful
organisms that the newborn may have had contact with during delivery.
Immediately after a normal birth, the parents are encouraged
to hold their newborn. Some experts believe that early physical contact with
the newborn helps establish bonding. However, parents can bond well with their
newborn even when the first hours are not spent together. The mother and
newborn usually recover together in the delivery room. If the delivery is in a
birth center, the mother, father or mother's partner, and newborn remain
together in the same room. Mothers who are breastfeeding put their newborn to
their breast within the first 30 minutes after delivery. Breastfeeding stimulates
oxytocin, a hormone that helps the mother's womb to heal and promotes
development of the milk supply. Once transported to the nursery, newborns are
placed on their back in a small crib and kept warm. Because all babies are born
with low levels of vitamin K, a doctor or nurse gives an injection of vitamin K
to prevent bleeding (hemorrhagic disease of the newborn).
- CORONA VIRUS
- MONKEY POX
- VAGINAL DRYNESS
- FIBROID
- INFERTILITY
- OVULATION CYCLE
- OVARIAN CANCER
- VAGINAL BACTERIA
- MALE INFERTILITY
- BEST DAYS OF CONCIEVING
- MUCUS AFTER OVULATION
- FOODS FOR ERECTILE FUNCTIONS
- PREGNANCY ANEMIA
- DO AND DONT DURING PREGNANCY
- ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION
- U.T.I IN PREGNANCY
- STROKE RISK
- EAT THIS NOT THAT
- HOOKWORMS INFECTION
- OMEGA 3 BENEFITS
- FASTING
- WEIGHT LOSS TIPS
- vitiligo
- ABORTION
- DENGUE VIRUS
- EBORA VIRUS
- FEVER
- URINARY TRACT INFECTION
- HOSPITAL INFECTIONS
- WEST NILE VIRUS
- YELLOW FEVER
- EYE DISEASE
- ZIKA VIRUS
- STRESS
- IRON DEFFICIENCE
- INSOMNIA (SLEEPING PROBLEMS)
- HEART PROBLEMS
- COMPONENTS OF BLOOD
- BLOOD DISORDER
- LABORATORY TEST OF BLOOD DISORDER
- BONE MARROW EXAMINATION
- BLOOD ANEMIA
- ANIMAL BITES
- EYE BURN
- CHOCKING
- HEAT STROKE
- SMOKE EFFECTS
- SNAKE BITE
- MALARIA VACCINE
- BEST WAY TO SLEEP A CHILD
- CHILD FEVER REDUCING
- ELEPHANTIASIS
- WOMEN BEARDS
- DATES
- PAPAYA FRUITS
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