Postnatal PeriodPostnatal Period

A New Family MemberA New Family Member

What is the Apgar score?What is the Apgar score?

One minute — and One minute — and again five minutes — again five minutes — after your baby is born, after your baby is born, doctors calculate his doctors calculate his Apgar Apgar score to see score to see how he's doing.how he's doing.

It's a simple process It's a simple process that helps determine that helps determine whether your newborn whether your newborn is ready to meet the is ready to meet the world without world without additional medical additional medical assistance.assistance.

What do the Apgar What do the Apgar scores mean?scores mean?The one-minute Apgar scoreThe one-minute Apgar score

This helps your This helps your practitioner decide practitioner decide whether your baby needs whether your baby needs immediate medical help. immediate medical help. If your baby scores If your baby scores between 7 and 10, it between 7 and 10, it usually means he's in usually means he's in good shape and doesn't good shape and doesn't need more than routine need more than routine post-delivery care post-delivery care

Premature InfantPremature Infant

How Does the Doctor Score a Baby?How Does the Doctor Score a Baby?

It's easy to It's easy to remember what's remember what's being tested by being tested by thinking of the thinking of the letters in the name letters in the name "Apgar":"Apgar":

1.1. ActivityActivity2.2. PulsePulse3.3. GrimaceGrimace4.4. AppearanceAppearance5.5. RespirationRespiration

Activity (muscle tone)Activity (muscle tone) 0 — Limp; no movement0 — Limp; no movement1 — Some flexion of arms and legs1 — Some flexion of arms and legs2 — Active motion2 — Active motion

Pulse (heart rate)Pulse (heart rate) 0 — No heart rate0 — No heart rate1 — Fewer than 100 beats per minute1 — Fewer than 100 beats per minute2 — At least 100 beats per minute2 — At least 100 beats per minute

Grimace (reflex response) Grimace (reflex response) 0 — No response to airways being 0 — No response to airways being suctionedsuctioned1 — Grimace during suctioning1 — Grimace during suctioning2 — Grimace and pull away, cough, or 2 — Grimace and pull away, cough, or sneeze during suctioningsneeze during suctioning

Appearance (color)Appearance (color) 0 — The baby's whole body is completely 0 — The baby's whole body is completely bluish-gray or palebluish-gray or pale1 — Good color in body with bluish hands 1 — Good color in body with bluish hands or feetor feet2 — Good color all over2 — Good color all over

Respiration (breathing)Respiration (breathing) 0 — Not breathing0 — Not breathing1 — Weak cry; may sound like 1 — Weak cry; may sound like whimpering, slow or irregular breathingwhimpering, slow or irregular breathing2 — Good, strong cry; normal rate and 2 — Good, strong cry; normal rate and effort of breathing effort of breathing

Process of BondingProcess of Bonding

Bonding is the Bonding is the forming of lifelong forming of lifelong emotional ties emotional ties between parents between parents and newborn.and newborn.

Bonding can be Bonding can be strengthened by: strengthened by:

1.1. Placing the baby in Placing the baby in the mother’s arms the mother’s arms or on her stomachor on her stomach

2.2. Having parents Having parents stroke and talk to stroke and talk to the babythe baby

3.3. Having the baby Having the baby nurse within nurse within minutes of birthminutes of birth

What is Colostrum?What is Colostrum?

Right after birth, Right after birth, the mother’s the mother’s breasts secrete a breasts secrete a fluid called fluid called colostrum.colostrum.

It is easy for the It is easy for the newborn to digest newborn to digest and is rich in and is rich in antibodies to antibodies to protect against protect against disease.disease.

Rooming-in Rooming-in Rooming-in involves Rooming-in involves

having the baby stay having the baby stay in the same room with in the same room with the mother, rather the mother, rather than in a central than in a central nursery in the nursery in the hospital.hospital.

Rooming-in helps the Rooming-in helps the bonding process and bonding process and lets parents get to lets parents get to know he baby and know he baby and learn proper care.learn proper care.

Mother’s Postnatal CareMother’s Postnatal Care

Feeling Blue?Feeling Blue? ““Baby Blues” are feelings Baby Blues” are feelings

of disappointment, of disappointment, loneliness, or resentment loneliness, or resentment that sometimes occur that sometimes occur after the birth.after the birth.

Moms need to talk over Moms need to talk over their feelings with their feelings with someone sympathetic, someone sympathetic, take some time away take some time away from the baby, and take from the baby, and take good physical care of good physical care of herself.herself.

Premature NewbornsPremature Newborns

A baby is considered A baby is considered prematurepremature if it is born before if it is born before 8 ½ months or weighs less 8 ½ months or weighs less than 5 ½ lbs. (2.5 kg).than 5 ½ lbs. (2.5 kg).

Some problems Some problems premature premature newbornsnewborns face include face include immature digestive, immature digestive, breathing and heat breathing and heat regulation systems. They are regulation systems. They are also prone to infections.also prone to infections.

IncubatorsIncubators

A special type of crib A special type of crib called an incubator, called an incubator, provides premature provides premature babies with a controlled babies with a controlled environment.environment.

Oxygen supply Oxygen supply temperature and temperature and humidity can all be humidity can all be controlled.controlled.

Infant ReflexesInfant Reflexes

Reflexes are instinctive, automatic Reflexes are instinctive, automatic responses. responses.

The purpose of reflexes are they help The purpose of reflexes are they help the baby’s body function.the baby’s body function.

There are a number of reflexes that There are a number of reflexes that we can see in a newborn.we can see in a newborn.

Infant ReflexesInfant Reflexes Startle or 'Moro'Startle or 'Moro'

If a loud noise occurs or the If a loud noise occurs or the baby’s stomach is touched-baby’s stomach is touched-Throws out her legs and arms Throws out her legs and arms and arches her back if her and arches her back if her head suddenly drops head suddenly drops backwardsbackwards

RootingRooting

If something touches the If something touches the baby’s lips or cheeks- Turns baby’s lips or cheeks- Turns her head towards your her head towards your finger, or nipple, stroked finger, or nipple, stroked across her cheek across her cheek

Infant ReflexesInfant Reflexes

SteppingSteppingMakes walking movements Makes walking movements when held upright with her when held upright with her feet touching a flat surfacefeet touching a flat surface

Grasp Reflex / PalmarGrasp Reflex / PalmarCloses her fist around Closes her fist around anything which touches anything which touches her palmher palm

If something is pressed If something is pressed into the baby’s palm, the into the baby’s palm, the fingers will curl and hold fingers will curl and hold tighttight

Infant ReflexesInfant Reflexes

BlinkBlinkBlinks when you clap your Blinks when you clap your hands near her facehands near her face

DivingDivingCloses the tract to her lungs, Closes the tract to her lungs, keeps mouth and eyes open keeps mouth and eyes open and makes swimming and makes swimming movements with arms and movements with arms and legs when submerged in legs when submerged in waterwater

Infant ReflexesInfant Reflexes

SuckingSuckingSucks you finger or nipple Sucks you finger or nipple rhythmicallyrhythmically

TrackingTrackingFollows moving objects Follows moving objects with her eyeswith her eyes

Newborn NeedsNewborn Needs Food-Food- feed the baby immediately feed the baby immediately

when hungry. Babies need feeding when hungry. Babies need feeding during the night for the sake of during the night for the sake of nutrition, comfort and the nutrition, comfort and the closeness they get by being with closeness they get by being with you.you.

Sleep-Sleep- let the baby sleep as let the baby sleep as needed throughout the day. Your needed throughout the day. Your newborn baby will sleep through newborn baby will sleep through most noise and activity, though a most noise and activity, though a sudden noise might wake her. A sudden noise might wake her. A baby who seems very sleepy a lot baby who seems very sleepy a lot of the time and who doesn't wake of the time and who doesn't wake to feed may be ill, so don't assume to feed may be ill, so don't assume a baby like this is 'being good'a baby like this is 'being good'

Newborn NeedsNewborn Needs

Warmth- Warmth- dress for dress for conditionsconditions

ExerciseExercise- let the - let the baby kick while baby kick while being diapered and being diapered and splash and wiggle splash and wiggle during he bath!during he bath!

Cleanliness-Cleanliness- bath bath and diaper the and diaper the baby regularlybaby regularly

Newborn NeedsNewborn Needs

Safety- Safety- Watch the baby when awakeWatch the baby when awake Medical care – Medical care – provide periodic provide periodic

checkups in the first yearcheckups in the first year PlayPlay –Provide things to look at, touch, –Provide things to look at, touch,

listen to & play with. Babies do not listen to & play with. Babies do not register soft colors for a year at least. register soft colors for a year at least. So a good choice is to get baby toys So a good choice is to get baby toys and infant toys which have high and infant toys which have high contrast colors. Red, black and white contrast colors. Red, black and white are the best colors for stimulating very are the best colors for stimulating very young babies.young babies.

Newborn NeedsNewborn Needs

LoveLove- - Provide close Provide close contact with baby and contact with baby and show that love is felt!show that love is felt!