Are you expecting to be a parent soon? Then you might be at a stage where you are reading up on all that you can, to understand what to expect. Often we read up on everything up to the point of delivery and leave the rest to the doctor. While that’s definitely the best approach to take, understanding a little bit about the steps taken to care for your newborn in the first days of its life and what happens in cases of illness or premature birth can be useful.
What is neonatal care?
Neonatal care refers to the care given to a newborn infant in the first 28-30 days of life. The purpose of neonatal care is to first evaluate and assist the newborn’s transition from intrauterine to an extrauterine environment and assess and monitor all vital functioning and check for abnormalities. Neonatal care also helps with mother-child bonding and ensures the child has a safe environment.
There are a series of steps that are taken to provide neonatal care that help the newborn adjust to its new environment. This includes
- The suction of amniotic fluid from the newborn’s mouth and nose
- clamping of umbilical cord
- drying off the baby and covering its head
- wrapping the newborn in several blankets to retain body temperature
- the first breastfeeding
The paediatrician will also evaluate the newborn for abnormalities. If you are looking for a child hospital in Delhi, you will find the best paediatrician in Gurugram at the Park Hospitals.
What is newborn critical care?
In the event of a complication during delivery, premature birth or illness of the newborn, then newborn critical care is given. For this, the newborn will be treated in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, NICU which is a specialised area of the hospital. The NICU has specially designed technology and trained healthcare professionals to provide the best care to the newborn.
In general, babies that are born prior 37 weeks, or are less than 5.5 pounds or may be sick or simply need specialised nursing care for some time, are put in the NICU. Complications at birth may also put undue pressure on the newborn infant that will require specialised care that the NICU can provide. This may be
- When the mother has bleeding,
- it is a multiple pregnancy
- there is too little or too much amniotic fluid
- premature rupture of the amniotic sac
- baby was born in an abnormal birthing position
- the baby passed stool during pregnancy in the amniotic fluid
- umbilical cord wrapped around the baby’s neck
- fetal distress/ asphyxiation
- newborn has respiratory distress
The Paediatrician hospital in Palam Vihar has the best paediatrician in Gurugram that has a state-of-the-art NICU fully capacitated to take care of every possibility in newborn critical care. The special team of doctors and healthcare professionals of the NICU are equipped to handle this complex process.
FAQ
Is there a Paediatrician near me that can provide postnatal care?
The Paediatrician hospital in Palam Vihar provides both neonatal and postnatal care.
