children s health issues
Initial Care of the Newborn
Introduction
Healthy newborns (age birth to 1 month) and infants (age 1 month to 1 year) need many different types of care to ensure their normal development and good health. During childbirth, the fetus, which is immersed in amniotic fluid and totally dependent on the placenta for nutrition and oxygen, makes a major transition to a newborn baby that breathes air and takes in nutrition by mouth. Immediately after a baby is delivered, the doctor, midwife, 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 and no longer needs to receive oxygen through the umbilical cord. Two clamps are placed on the umbilical cord, and the umbilical cord is then cut between the clamps. After a Overview of Labor and Delivery , the newborn may be laid carefully on the mother's abdomen for skin-to-skin contact or wrapped in a blanket for the mother to hold. After a Not all deliveries follow a standard pattern. For example, some women have Introduction to Complications of Labor and Delivery . In some cases, the newborn requires some special attention by the medical staff after birth. 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 may be removed when the cord is completely dry. The stump should be kept clean and dry. The stump falls off on its own in a week or two. The doctor or midwife examines the newborn for any obvious abnormalities or signs of distress. A full Physical Examination of a Newborn comes later (typically within 24 hours of birth). The newborn's condition immediately after birth is recorded at 1 minute and at 5 minutes after birth using the Once the newborn is stable, the nurses obtain the Head Circumference , Keeping a 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. Immediately after birth, parents are encouraged to hold their newborn. Some experts believe that early physical contact with the newborn helps establish bonding. However, sometimes a newborn needs medical care or there is another reason that contact with parents is delayed. 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. Mothers who are Breastfeeding put their newborn to their breast within the first 30 minutes after delivery. Breastfeeding stimulates After birth, the doctor or nurse does a few tests and gives the newborn a few treatments to check for and prevent certain diseases, including the following: Newborn Screening Tests are done. A small amount of an antibiotic, such aserythromycin,tetracycline,silver nitrate, or, in some countries, povidone iodine, is placed into the eyes to prevent infection from any harmful organisms that the newborn may have had contact with during birth. Hepatitis B Vaccine is one of the routine vaccinations recommended for all children. All newborns, whether or not infected with hepatitis B, should be given the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine before they are discharged from the hospital. Because all babies are born with Vitamin K Deficiency , an injection of vitamin K is given to prevent bleeding (hemorrhagic disease of the newborn). About 6 hours or more after birth, newborns are bathed. The nurse tries not to wash off the whitish greasy material (vernix caseosa) that covers most of the newborn's skin because this material helps protect against infection. 