The first days of a child's life. Newborn care

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Every woman in labor is looking forward to the arrival of her baby, because tense nine months have exhausted her internally. Therefore, the first days of living together with a child for a mother are a kind of liberation. But, on the other hand, now the woman is experiencing pain, which gives her even more excitement.

APGAR test

A woman understands perfectly well that a child is too fragile, and it is not easy to immediately understand how her body works, but neonatologists will help assess the physical condition of a child by conducting a professional APGAR test. The evaluation itself is based on several main factors:

• strength and nature of the cry of a newborn - makes it clear the work of the lungs, their state of disclosure;
• heartbeat and its frequency - shows the state of the circulatory system and blood circulation throughout the body;
• skin, its shade and uniformity - also allows you to determine the work of the circulatory system, small vessels and damage during childbirth;
• muscle tone - helps to assess the physical component, how ready the child is for independent living;
• reflexes are one of the most important factors, on the testimony of which depends on how completenewborn.

It is the neonatologist who conducts a thorough examination of the newborn, checking for all reflexes, damage and the presence of bruises or abrasions that can significantly affect its further development. After the child passes into the hands of a skilled obstetrician, who weighs the child, measures his height, head and chest dimensions. Then, in order to prevent conjunctivitis, the eyes of the newborn are treated with a solution (30%) of sodium sulfacyl.

First day

The first day after childbirth is the most responsible and requires maximum attention from the medical staff and the mother herself. In the delivery room, the child who has passed the examination is required to tie a bracelet with the exact data and date of birth, after the baby is wrapped in a blanket, an identical medallion is tied with the same data, it is for them that the nurse of the neonatal ward will take the baby. Before the transfer, a repeated procedure of scrupulous examination of the baby is carried out, if necessary, the umbilical cord residue is processed and the baby is weighed.

Baby care rules

On the first day after childbirth, the obstetrician explains in more detail the main principles of caring for the baby, gives vivid examples and shows how you can take the baby and what not to do at all. Consider the basic rules:

1. It is necessary to wash the eyes very carefully, because the condition of the mucous membrane depends on the cleanliness of the mother's hands, the sterility of tampons and water. Therefore, you need to prepare. Hands must be very carefullywash with good soap, boil water, take only sterile tampons.
2. It is necessary to wash the eyes only in one trajectory. Starting at the outer corner, slowly move towards the bridge of your nose, not backwards as many adults do.
3. A clean swab should be taken for each eye, because rinsing with one can lead to conjunctivitis.
4. Cutting nails should be done with special scissors rounded at the tips. This is necessary so as not to damage or injure the baby's fragile skin.
5. Difficulty breathing may be observed on the first day of the baby, as the nasal passages are too small and postpartum mucus can accumulate in them. Washing should be carried out with a neatly twisted flagellum made of sterile high-quality cotton wool.
6. Ear shells should be cleaned with special comfortable sticks. For each, you must use a new one.

The first days of a newborn are quite eventful for the whole family, everyone tries to fill the child's world with comfort and kindness as much as possible, so the organization of life is divided into several people. But experts advise many couples to schedule the duties of parents and relatives in advance so that there are fewer conflict situations in the family and negative emotions do not spoil the atmosphere of the children's room.

Inspection

In the first days of a baby's life, it is worth examining the condition of the skin of the head, because in the process of passing through the birth canal (especially in the fragile physique of women in labor), the baby may slightlydeform the shape of the skull. Such changes are temporary, over time (three to four months) everything will recover and take on a natural look. Also, all babies have unprotected places on the skull, which are popularly called fontanelles (the largest is just above the forehead) - their full recovery takes place up to 1.5 years of the baby.

The first two days are the most important for a child. During this short period by human standards, the work of all organs is fully regulated in the baby, so the child and mother are under constant supervision. Immediately after birth, in the case of a normal state of the child, he is carefully placed on the stomach of the woman in labor. This is how the process of reunification takes place, which is very important for the psychological peace of both. At such moments, the mother's brain reveals the necessary instincts, and the child feels peace, similar to the sensations in the womb.

Measuring weight, height and temperature

After all the necessary procedures, the baby is transferred together with his mother to the newborn ward assigned to them. He althy children are already examined by a pediatrician and a nurse, after which the baby is gently washed in clean warm running water using soap, then wiped scrupulously to completely remove moisture and at the same time bring the skin to life. In the first days of a newborn, weight measurements are carried out only in the morning, but temperature measurements are taken two or three times (in the morning and in the evening, they can take another day if the child's condition raises questions). All received data is recorded in the history of development and transferred to the head physician.

Washing

Before each feeding, the baby is washed under running warm water. The washing procedure consists of several stages:

• careful washing of the face - so the child's body is easily cleansed and gets used to the environment;
• careful washing of the eyes (in case the mucus channels are not fully opened, they are also massaged), the ears and, if necessary, the nose (the body can be cleansed of water);
• treatment of the umbilical cord.

Essentials

To fully and evenly spend the first days in the maternity ward, mother and child will need a lot. To begin with, each family must inquire about the required standard list at the hospital where the delivery and postpartum care process will take place. A sufficient number of diapers, drinking clean water and diapers can be advised by both obstetricians and doctors, and familiar mothers. All components of the newborn first aid kit are also recorded by the obstetrician or nurse.

Clothes

Baby's clothes, especially in the first days after birth, should be spacious and super soft, seams, decorative elements should not press or tighten the baby's body. The material must be of high quality, breathable and maintain an even microclimate (do not allow the baby to overheat or cool down). If the room is kept at a constant temperature within 20-23 ºС, the child's head can not be covered with a cap, in other cases, the cap is simply vital.

Baby seat

When the child has safely passed the period of post-natal care in the maternity hospital and arrived home with his mother, he needs no less scrupulous care. First of all, new parents should worry about the children's room where the baby will live. The room should be protected as much as possible from dust accumulators, such as solid carpets, because in the first days the baby can react sharply to stale air, which can subsequently result in allergies. The room should be prepared in advance so that furniture and other items move easily and do not block the space for washing and daily wet cleaning.

Temperature and humidity

Many doctors talk about the need to maintain an even temperature regime, because even in the womb your child is used to existing in a monophonic environment, and sudden changes will give freedom to microbes and viruses. Therefore, the optimal conditions are 20-22 ºС. Do not forget about the humidity of the air and the possible ventilation of the room without the presence of the baby (during walks).

Every mother tries to be as close as possible to her baby's bed during the first days, so this option should also be considered. The crib should not be adjacent to the heating radiator, as many of the inexperienced parents bake. Dry air will lead to illness of the baby, the mucous membranes of the body are just beginning to adapt to the surrounding life, and dry air will lead to their cracking and infection with bacteria. Close location to the window is also not an option, especially for Soviet houseswithout insulated facades.

Tips

All the furniture and household items for children are, of course, chosen by the mother. The first day at home passes in adaptation to the chosen things and the arsenal of everyday use (baths, jars, clothes). The mattress for the crib, many choose too soft, worrying about the comfort of the child. But it is still worth giving preference to denser types, so the dorsal vertebrae will develop correctly in the child. A pillow is an extra item for a bed. A soft, quality sheet and a couple of folded diapers are best.

Also in the room it is worth equipping a changing table, as standard in the maternity ward. This manipulation helped at a time when the child was one day old, why refuse this method of care in your home? On the table you can place a stack of necessary diapers, powders and other small things. The base should be a thick blanket so that the child does not press anything, and he is completely safe.