Medical care for your newborn baby
New born screening
New born screening is a screening test that is done within the babies first 72 hours of birth. It lets the doctor check for any congenital metabolic disorders. These affect the normal functions of the body. Most babies pass this test. However, in case a Baby has this disorder and it is not detected and left untreated then it causes mental, physical, and other health complications.
The other medical tests that the baby has to undergo are:
- Congenital hypothyroidism- This is to check for the lack of the thyroid hormone that is essential for the body and brain growth
- Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia – A disorder of the endocrine that causes dehydration, salt loss and very high levels of male sex hormone
- Galactosemia – This is a condition where the baby is not able to produce galactose that is the sugar that is found in milk
- Phenylketonuria–In this condition, the body does not use the phenylalanine enzyme that could lead to brain damage
- Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency (G6PD)– This condition,if left untreated, could cause hemolytic anemia where the body does not have enough of the healthy RBC
- Cystic fibrosis – In this condition the babies lungs do not work fine
- Sickle cell anemia– This condition causes anemia because the RBC is not in the correct shape and so does not work properly.
The basic medical tests are done:
- Measuring the newborn’s length, head circumference, and weight
- Measuring the temperature of the baby
- Measuring the heart rate and the baby’s breathing
- The baby is also given a bath and its umbilical stump is cleaned
Nursing care needs of the baby
The midwife or the nurse offers immediate Nursing care to the new Mother. The new mother needs to start nursing while she is still beating the tiredness of delivery and child birth. In case of natural birth, the mom is encouraged to bond and feed the baby immediately after birth. Help is needed because for most new mothers this does not come automatically.Helping the baby to latch correctly on to the nipple is something that frustrates moms and it upsets her. This is when having nursing care is recommended.
Even if the mother wants to bottle-feed the baby, still some help can be good to let her get started.
The mothers who have a C-section delivery may not be ready as such to nurse the baby. This is when the dad or the birth partner is given the knowledge to help the mother and prepare her to nurse the baby. Immediate nursing care is essential because it lets the mother and the baby bond well.
Conclusion
Even if the baby is not getting enough milk, the closeness to the mom is important. Babies get used to smells soon and this helps to reassure and comfort the baby. Dad scan be trained to make the bottle feeds while the mother gets her rest. The nursing staff will also teach the right way to make the formula feed.
