Care of New Born

At That beautiful moment of child birth, a new mother is also born , A mother who was an amazing women and who is going to be an amazing mother. Breast feeding is the best ‘best gift’ and ‘first insurance’ you can provide and should be initiated as soon as possible along with skin to skin contact.

Mothers should focus on their healing health by taking healthy food without restrictions and thinking positively about baby and not focus on inadequacy of feed as the feeds are naturally designed to suffice the stomach capacities of newborn.

Though the babies are mini ‘US’, they are unique and a lot different.,All they do is feed, sleep, poop and repeat.
So they should be fed second hourly initially followed by demand feeding by breast feeds and should be given only prescribed meds and suppliments and should not be given anything like honey .
They should be kept as warm as mother’s womb with pre washed and dried cotton loose clothes , cap , mitten and socks.

They sleep 16-18 hours a day and mother should rest when baby sleeps.
They should be kept clean and caregiver should follow hand hygiene while changing diapers and handling baby.
Baby’s umbilical cord should be kept clean and they should be given bath with gentle cleansers, only after cord falls and gentle sponge bath should be given till then.
A gentle oil massage by mother is benificial before bath. Gentle lotions should be applied after bath to prevent dehydration.

Talcum powders and kajal should be avoided.
Eyes should be cleaned with clean soft wet cotton or cloth.
Vaccinations are ‘second insurance’ to the baby and should be given according to schedule.
Mothers should not hesitate to ask even so-called-small doubts to the doctor and should be aware of normal conditions like small frequent stools, possetting, hiccups, sneezing, yawning and physiological Jaundice and also should be aware of warning signs.

Your baby wont remain a baby forever so you should enjoy while it lasts.

Written by:
Dr A Samatha Reddy
Consultant Pediatrician
Dr Sudha B
Consultant Neonatologist
Yashoda Hospitals, Somajuguda, Hyderabad