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Kerstie Allen
July 3, 2013
Ms.Speer
Immediate Care of Healthy Newborn Babies
The birth of a baby is one of life’s greatest moments. Not many experiences can compare with
this event. Newborn babies have amazing abilities, yet they are completely dependent on others for
everything such as feeding, warmth, and comfort in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. (“Aha! Baby…”)
the following paragraphs discuss the many different methods in providing immediate care for healthy
infants and why I feel both parents should assume equal responsibility in raising a newborn. (“Healthy
Mothers and…”)
Newborns need A LOT of extra attention. I strongly believe both parents should assume equal
responsibility of their newborn/child because it is so demanding. Immediate care of a newborn is very
important because babies will not properly develop unless they have the proper care and undivided
attention of the newborn’s parents. Newborns need constant attention. Newborns have to be fed
consistently. Newborns are incontinent, and depend on adults to change their clothes and diapers.
Newborns cannot do anything for themselves. Parents need to protect and nurture the newborn. To a
considerable extent, the wellbeing of a newborn depends on the health of the mother. When mothers
are malnourished, sickly, or receive inadequate prenatal and delivery care, their babies face a higher risk
of disease and premature death. (“Tinker and Ransom”) The father must help care for both the mother
and baby to help both be healthy. Both parents should assume equal responsibility in raising a newborn
because not only one parent should have to do all the work. Dividing tasks for the baby between
parents can make life a little simpler for both parents.
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Certain steps should be taken after the birth of the baby from the doctors/nurses. The baby
should be dried, and the reason is because babies can lose a tremendous amount of heat, particularly if
they are wet. After the babies are dried properly, they should be positioned, meaning they should be
kept on their backs or tilted to the side, but not on their stomachs. Babies can suffocate on their
stomachs and this position increases the chance of SIDS. This is the unexpected, sudden death of a child
under age 1 in which an autopsy does not show an explainable cause of death. (“Sudden Infant
Death...”) Soon after the baby is positioned, nurses need to suction the airway. This is extremely
important because they need to clear the mucous and amniotic fluid from the baby’s lungs. A nurse
should suction first from the mouth and then from the nose. They suction the mouth first because
babies often come out crying and if they inhale with the fluid in their mouth, then it will get into their
lungs and this can cause problems. Next, they will need to evaluate the baby for breathing, color, and
heart rate. If the baby is not breathing well or is depressed, more drying with a towel may provide
enough heat for the newborn to recover. Checking the breathing of the baby is important because if the
baby is not breathing correctly one should begin artificial ventilation, which is the process of supporting
respirations by manual or mechanical means when normal breathing is inefficient or has stopped. While
checking the color of the newborn, a nurse needs to remember to assess the pinkness of the fetal skin.
(“Immediate Care... “) Although some infants are uniformly pink in color, many have some degree of
“Acrocyanosis.” Acroyanosis is normal during the first few hours; however, it should disappear over the
next day. After the color of the skin is checked, a nurse needs to check the heartbeat. The normal heart
beat is over one hundred beats per minute. The baby should be kept warm by keeping the home
temperature at sixty-eight to seventy degrees Fahrenheit, as well as dressing the baby appropriately for
the weather.(Care of the...”) Following these methods will provide a healthy beginning for the newborn.
Properly caring for a baby can result in positive effects. If one does not dry the baby properly and
carefully, hypothermia can occur. (“Care of the...”) Also if the baby is not positioned correctly, the baby’s
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breathing will be affected. Another effect is if the baby is not evaluated for color, breathing and heart
rate, it can negatively affect him or her. Evaluating the color of the baby is important because the baby
needs to be pink, or acroyanosis. (“Newborn Care in...”) If these steps are not followed the newborn
may not be born healthy. There are many different explanations for why properly caring for a newborn
is so important. The key to taking care of infants is to identify, understand, and then meet their needs. It
is crucial to satisfy their bodily or physical needs by providing basic shelter and necessities.
Their parents should want to meet their basic needs and necessities once the child is brought
home. Infants also need to feel comfortable in their own bodies. Babies must have safety and security so
they always feel loved and experience affection. Infant’s respond quickly to cuddling, holding, soothing
voices and gentle touches, so parents must take time to bond with them. Parents should want to bond
with their newborn. Also, it is extremely important to meet their medical needs by scheduling regular
immunizations and doctors’ visits. This is extremely important for the health of the newborn. Taking
care of an infant involves some research mixed with plenty of love, patience, and common sense.
(“Newborn care...”) If parents satisfy each need, they will be on the way to making a happy healthy
child.
There are many procedures in giving infants immediate care that is needed for them to maintain
healthy lifestyles. Babies are very delicate, particularly newborns. Newborns need attention and help as
they start growing. Babies can be a great healthy big bundle of joy, but they can also become unhealthy
depending of the methods followed. Both parents can easily cause harm to their newborns if they are
not careful. A life can easily be gone if it is not cared for correctly. These methods provided are all valid
ways in maintaining a healthy start for a newborn. This is also why I support both parents in the
upbringing of a newborn.
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Works cited
"Aha! Baby." Pregnant Birth. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 July 2013.
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"Care of the Baby in the Delivery Room." Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford LPCH: Northern
California Children's Hospital. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 July 2013.
"Care for the baby in the delivery room." Care of the baby in the delivery room. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 July
2013.
“Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Infants.” Ministry of health, 2008. Web. 3 July 2013.
"Healthy Mothers and Healthy Newborns: The Vital Link." Print. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 July 2013.
“Home Visits for Care of the Newborn.” Child Info. UNICEF, 2009. Web. 2 July 2013.
"Immediate care of the newborn." Nursing crib. N.p., 29 June 2005. Web. 2 July 2013.
Immediate Care of the Newborn following Delivery. Docstop, 2011. Web. 2 July 2013.
"KidsHealth." A Guide for First-Time Parents. Heidi M. Sallee, MD, n.d. Web. 03 July 2013.
"KidsHealth." Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Floyd R. Livingston Jr., MD, Oct. 2011. Web. 3 July
2013.
“Newborn Care until the First Week of Life.” World Health Organization, 2009. Web. 2 July 2013.
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"Your Baby's First Hours of Life." Womenshealth.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 July 2013.