Normal care of the newborn

Question 1

What different things happen after birth?

Answer 1

• skin to skin
• delayed cord clamping
• drying the baby
• keeping the baby warm with a hat and blankets
• vitamin K
• labelling the baby
• measure the weight and length

Question 2

Why are babies given vitamin K after birth?

Answer 2

Babies are born with a deficiency of vitamin K, which is an important part of normal blood clotting. An IM injection of vitamin K is given in the thigh shortly after birth, which also helps stimulate the baby to cry, aiding lung expansion.

Question 3

What does giving vitamin K help reduce?

Answer 3

The risk of vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB), which can involve bruising, umbilical stump bleeding, and intracranial haemorrhage.

Question 4

How else can vitamin K be given?

Answer 4

Orally, but this takes longer and requires doses at birth, 7 days, and 6 weeks. Oral vitamin K takes longer to act and absorption is less reliable.

Question 5

What are the benefits of skin to skin contact after birth?

Answer 5

• Helps warm the baby
• improves mother and baby interaction, calms the baby
• improves breastfeeding

Question 6

What should be considered once mum and baby are out of the delivery room?

Answer 6

Initiate breastfeeding or bottle feeding as soon as the baby is alert enough. The first bath is usually delayed until the baby is warm and stable. NIPE within 72 hours, blood spot test on day 5, newborn hearing test in the first few weeks.

Question 7

What does the newborn hearing screening programme involve?

Answer 7

An automated otoacoustic emission test where an ear piece is inserted into the ear and clicking sounds are played.
- The device detects otoacoustic emissions produced by the cochlea in response to this stimulation.
- Reduced/absent otoacoustic emissions suggest a possible hearing problem, prompting further referral eg. an autommated auditory brainstem response test

Question 8

What is blood spots screening?

Answer 8

A screening test for 9 congenital conditions, taken on day 5 (day 8 at the latest). A heel prick is used to provide drops of blood, with 4 separate drops needed for the screening card.

Question 9

What 9 congenital conditions does the blood spots screening test for?

Answer 9

• sickle cell
• CF
• congenital hypothryoidism
• phenylketonuria
• MCADD (medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency)
• maple syrup urine disease
• Isovaleric acidaemia
• glutamic acuduria type 1
• homocystein

Question 10

How long does it take for blood spots screening results to come back?

Answer 10

6-8 weeks.