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Basic Steps in Newborn Care
The newborn period, which ends when the baby has completed three months of life, may be divided into several smaller periods: the first 24 hours after birth (immediately postnatal), the initial neonatal care phase lasting up to seven days, early neonatal care for the following week, and late neonatal care from the eighth day through the end of the third month. Here are some basic rules and guidelines for newborn nursing as a guide:
1. Assess and Prepare (first 24 hours)
* Monitor fetal heartbeat before cutting
* Keep umbilical cord intact during first few days, avoid clamping or cutting close to navel without order from doctor.
2. Warmth and Skin Protection
* Maintain warmth: Keep baby at the correct temperature in his or her bed or crib using a preheated mattress or a warm bath sheet wrapped around the body, not on the head
* Dry skin: Apply olive oil or petroleum jelly to keep dry skin; check for irritation at first signs of it
3. Eye Ointment
* Eye ointment should be administered right away after birth to treat conjunctivitis and prevent eye infection
4. First Feeding
* Immediate breastfeeding right away if baby is healthy; bottle-feeding can also be done, follow manufacturer's guidelines.
5. Urine Output\
* Monitor urine output in the first day. Normal urine output for a newborn over three hours should be at least two ounces. If less or no output occurs during same time period it could indicate possible problems with kidneys or urinary system that requires medical intervention immediately.
Please Note: This is highly summarized information and is not meant to serve as detailed reference source. Always consult medical manual if specific issues are detected in newborn, as these guides are only intended for basic understanding and may lack important details of what might occur if certain complications arise. This should never be used or referenced when making critical medical decisions.
The newborn period, which ends when the baby has completed three months of life, may be divided into several smaller periods: the first 24 hours after birth (immediately postnatal), the initial neonatal care phase lasting up to seven days, early neonatal care for the following week, and late neonatal care from the eighth day through the end of the third month. Here are some basic rules and guidelines for newborn nursing as a guide:
1. Assess and Prepare (first 24 hours)
* Monitor fetal heartbeat before cutting
* Keep umbilical cord intact during first few days, avoid clamping or cutting close to navel without order from doctor.
2. Warmth and Skin Protection
* Maintain warmth: Keep baby at the correct temperature in his or her bed or crib using a preheated mattress or a warm bath sheet wrapped around the body, not on the head
* Dry skin: Apply olive oil or petroleum jelly to keep dry skin; check for irritation at first signs of it
3. Eye Ointment
* Eye ointment should be administered right away after birth to treat conjunctivitis and prevent eye infection
4. First Feeding
* Immediate breastfeeding right away if baby is healthy; bottle-feeding can also be done, follow manufacturer's guidelines.
5. Urine Output\
* Monitor urine output in the first day. Normal urine output for a newborn over three hours should be at least two ounces. If less or no output occurs during same time period it could indicate possible problems with kidneys or urinary system that requires medical intervention immediately.
Please Note: This is highly summarized information and is not meant to serve as detailed reference source. Always consult medical manual if specific issues are detected in newborn, as these guides are only intended for basic understanding and may lack important details of what might occur if certain complications arise. This should never be used or referenced when making critical medical decisions.
