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| Category | Newborn Care |
Dr. Siddhartha Gogia is a highly qualified and experienced neonatologist for provides the best newborn care facilities for children.
Clothes for your new baby do not have to be elaborate or expensive. The number of factors determines what you should purchase immediately before your baby's arrival:
2 Body suits (Onesies) or T-shirts (size Newborn)
T-shirts are good at first until the umbilical cord falls off.
4 to 6 Body suits (Onesies) size Small
4 to 6 Sleepers or gowns (a couple of newborn sizes, the rest size 6 months)
50 to 60 Newborn size disposable diapers (about 1 weeks worth)
Babies grow so fast that you will move to use the small (size 1) diaper in just a few weeks.
4 to 6 Diaper covers (if you are using cloth diapers or diaper service)
36 to 48 Cloth diapers (if you are using cloth diapers)
4 to 6 Stretch suits/ Playsuits (some newborn size, but most size 6 months)
3 to 4 Blanket sleepers (less if your baby is born during the summer)
4 to 6 Receiving blankets
2 Blankets
1 to 2 Sweaters/Sweatshirts/Jackets
4 to 6 Socks/booties
6 Burp clothes (cloth diapers work well for this)
If it is winter you will need:
1 Hat
2 Blanket sleepers
If it is summer you will need:
1 Swimsuit
1 Sun hat
Swim diapers
Hints about Clothes and Dressing:
The emotions surrounding giving birth to a new human being are extremely strong, ranging from joy to panic and despair. In addition to these emotions, the birth process itself releases a flood of hormones in the mother's body which often wreak havoc with her emotions.
Preventing Fatigue and Exhaustion
For many mothers, the first weeks at home with a new baby are often the hardest in their lives. You will probably feel overworked, even overwhelmed. Inadequate sleep will leave you fatigued. Caring for a baby can be a lonely and stressful responsibility. You may wonder if you will ever catch up on your rest or work. The solution is asking for help. No one should be expected to care for a young baby alone.
Every baby awakens one or more times a night. The way to avoid sleep deprivation is to know the total amount of sleep you need per day and to get that sleep in bits and pieces. Go to bed earlier in the evening after your baby's final feeding of the day. When your baby naps you must also nap. Your baby doesn't need you hovering while he or she sleeps. If sick, your baby will show symptoms. While you are napping take the telephone off the hook and put up a sign on the door saying MOTHER AND BABY SLEEPING. If your total sleep remains inadequate, hire a babysitter or bring in a relative. If you don't take care of yourself, you won't be able to take care of your baby.
More than 50% of women experience postpartum blues on the third or fourth day after delivery. The symptoms include tearfulness, tiredness, sadness, and difficulty in thinking clearly. The main cause of this temporary reaction is probably the sudden decrease in maternal hormones. Since the symptoms commonly begin on the day the mother comes home from the hospital, the full impact of being totally responsible for a dependent newborn may also be a contributing factor. Many mothers feel let down and guilty about these symptoms because they have been led to believe they should be overjoyed about caring for their newborn. In any event, these symptoms usually clear in 1 to 3 weeks as the hormone levels return to normal and the mother develops routines and a sense of control over her life.
There are several ways to cope with the postpartum blues. First, acknowledge your feelings. Discuss them with your husband or a close friend as well as your sense of being trapped and that these new responsibilities seem insurmountable. Don't feel you need to suppress crying or put on a "supermom show" for everyone. Second, get adequate rest. Third, get help with all your work. Fourth, renew contact with other people; don't become isolated. Get out of the house at least once a week--go to the hairdresser, shop, visit a friend, or see a movie. By the fourth week, setting aside an evening a week for a "date" at home with your husband is also helpful. Take-out food and a rental movie can help you tap back into your marriage. If you don't feel better by the time your baby is 1 month old, see your health care provider about the possibility of counseling for depression.
As already emphasized, everyone needs extra help during the first few weeks alone with a new baby. Ideally, you were able to make arrangements for help before your baby was born. The best person to help (if you get along with her) is usually your mother or mother-in-law. If not, teenagers or adults can be hired to come in several times a week to help with housework or look after your baby while you go out or get a nap. If you have other young children, you will need daily help. Clarify that your role is looking after your baby. Your helper's role is to shop, cook, houseclean, and wash clothes and dishes. If your newborn has a medical problem that requires special care, ask for home visits by a public health nurse.
The father needs to take time off from work to be with his wife during labor and delivery, as well as on the day she and his child come home from the hospital. If the couple has a relative who will temporarily live in and help, the father can continue to work after the baby comes home. However, when the relative leaves, the father can take saved-up vacation time as paternity leave. At a minimum, he needs to work shorter hours until his wife and baby have settled in.
The age of noninvolvement of the father is over. Not only does the mother need the father to help her with household chores, but the baby also needs to develop a close relationship with the father. Today's father helps with feeding, changing diapers, bathing, putting to bed, reading stories, dressing, disciplining, doing homework, playing games, and calling the doctor when the child is sick. The father needs to be his wife's support system. He needs to relieve her in the evenings so she can nap or get a brief change of scenery.
A father may avoid interacting with his baby during the first year of life because he is afraid he will hurt his baby or that he won't be able to calm the child when the baby cries. The longer a father goes without learning parenting skills, the harder it becomes to master them. At a minimum, a father should hold and comfort his baby at least once a day.
Only close friends and relatives should visit you during your first month at home. They should not visit if they are sick. To prevent unannounced visitors, the parents can put up a sign saying MOTHER AND BABY SLEEPING. NO VISITORS. PLEASE CALL FIRST. Friends without children may not understand your needs. During visits, the visitor should also pay special attention to older siblings.
Your main assignments during the early months of life are loving and feeding your baby. All babies lose a few ounces during the first few days after birth. However, they should never lose more than 7% of the birth weight (usually about 8 ounces). Most bottle-fed babies are back to birth weight by 10 days of age and breastfed babies by 14 days of age. Then infants gain approximately an ounce per day during the early months. If milk is provided liberally, the normal newborn's hunger drive ensures appropriate weight gain.
A breastfeeding mother often wonders if her baby is getting enough calories since she can't see how many ounces the baby takes. Your baby is doing fine if he or she demands to nurse every 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, appears satisfied after feedings, takes both breasts at each nursing, wets 6 or more diapers each day, and passes 3 or more soft stools per day. Whenever you are worried about your baby's weight gain, bring your baby to your physician's office for a weight check. Feeding problems detected early are much easier to remedy than those of long-standing. A special weight check 1 week after birth is a good idea for infants of a first-time breastfeeding mother or a mother concerned about her milk supply.
Feeding: Breast Milk
Feeding: Formula (Bottle)
Crying babies need to be held. They need someone with a soothing voice and a soothing touch. You can't spoil your baby during the early months of life. Overly sensitive babies may need an even gentler touch.
For additional help on this subject, see Colic.
Remember to place your baby in his crib on his back. As of 1992, this is the sleep position recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics for healthy babies. The back (supine) position reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
You can take your baby outdoors at any age. You already took your baby outside when you left the hospital, and you will be going outside again when you take him or her for the two-day or two-week checkup.
Dress the baby with as many layers of clothing as an adult would wear for the outdoor temperature. A common mistake is overdressing a baby in summer. In winter, a baby needs a hat because he or she often doesn't have much hair to protect against heat loss. Cold air or winds do not cause ear infections or pneumonia.
The skin of babies is more sensitive to the sun than the skin of older children. Keep sun exposure to small amounts (10 to 15 minutes at a time). Protect your baby's skin from sunburn with longer clothing and a bonnet.
Camping and crowds should probably be avoided during your baby's first month of life. Also, during your baby's first year of life try to avoid close contact with people who have infectious illnesses.
Early discharge from the newborn nursery has become commonplace for full-term babies. Early discharge means going home within 24 to 48 hours after giving birth. In general, this is a safe practice if the baby's hospital stay has been uncomplicated. These newborns need to be re-checked 2 days after discharge to see how well they are feeding, urinating, producing stools, maintaining weight, and breathing. They will also be checked for jaundice and overall health. In some cases, this special re-check will be provided in your home.
This checkup is probably the most important medical visit for your baby during the first year of life. By two weeks of age, your baby will usually have developed symptoms of any physical condition that was not detectable during the hospital stay. Your child's health care provider will be able to judge how well your baby is growing from his or her height, weight, and head circumference.
This is also the time your family is under the most stress of adapting to a new baby. Try to develop a habit of jotting down questions about your child's health or behavior at home. Bring this list with you to office visits to discuss with the physician. Most physicians welcome the opportunity to address your agenda, especially if your questions are not easily answered by reading or talking with other mothers.
If at all possible, both the mother and father should go to these visits. Most physicians prefer to get to know both parents during a checkup rather than during the crisis of an acute illness.
If you think your newborn starts to look or act sick between the routine visits, be sure to call your child's health care provider for help.
Newborn babies can get infections easily because their defenses against infections are not well developed. The more premature a baby is, the more likely she is to get an infection.
Many newborns are tested and treated for infection, even when their doctors are not yet sure that they have an infection because:
Most newborn infections are caused by bacteria. Bacteria normally live in the birth canal, and the baby is exposed to them during birth. The baby may swallow or breathe in the fluid in the birth canal and then the bacteria may get into the baby's lungs and bloodstream.
A baby may be sick at the time of birth or become sick any time during the first week. You may not notice the first symptoms, but as the bacteria multiply the baby can become quite sick very fast. If an infection is found and treated early, the baby will do very well. If the baby is not treated until later, the baby may get very sick and need intensive care to recover.
Sometimes newborns catch a viral infection. Viruses cause colds, flu, and some diseases such as herpes and chickenpox. A virus may travel from the placenta into a baby's bloodstream before birth. Or the baby may be exposed to a virus in the birth canal during delivery. Occasionally, a newborn catches a virus after birth by being exposed to someone with a cold.
When a baby first develops an infection, the baby might:
Many healthy newborns have these symptoms occasionally. However, if a baby keeps having these symptoms, she needs to be checked.
As the infection gets worse, a baby might:
Some newborns may have an infection in one specific part of their body. In these cases you might see:
The early signs of infection are subtle and hard to diagnose. For example, your baby's fast breathing could be caused by an infection or by fluid in the lungs. If treatment is not given until it is certain your baby has an infection, he may become quite sick and need special care. So, if your baby has 1 or 2 signs of infection, he is often tested for infection and antibiotics are given until the results of the tests come back. The results are usually back in 48 to 72 hours.
Lab Tests
Certain lab tests will show if a baby has an infection and where it is located. Your health care provider may choose one or more of the following tests:
Nearly all babies who have infection when they are newborns recover completely and do not suffer any long-term problems.
Babies who have meningitis are at risk for hearing loss and will need to have their hearing checked several times during their first year. They can also develop learning or other developmental problems later on and will need to be followed by their health care provider for these problems.
Even after your child's physician assures you that your baby is normal, you may find that he or she looks a bit odd. Your baby does not have the perfect body you have seen in baby books. Be patient. Most newborns have some peculiar characteristics. Fortunately they are temporary. Your baby will begin to look normal by 1 to 2 weeks of age.
This discussion of these newborn characteristics is arranged by parts of the body. A few minor congenital defects that are harmless but permanent are also included. Call your physician if you have questions about your baby's appearance that this list does not address.
The nose can become misshapen during the birth process. It may be flattened or pushed to one side. It will look normal by 1 week of age.
Swollen breasts are present during the first week of life in many female and male babies. They are caused by the passage of female hormones across the mother's placenta. Breasts are generally swollen for 2 to 4 weeks, but they may stay swollen longer in breast-fed and female babies. One breast may lose its swelling before the other one by a month or more. Never squeeze the breast because this can cause infection. Be sure to call your physician if a swollen breast develops any redness, streaking, or tenderness.
Body hair (lanugo) Lanugo is the fine downy hair that is sometimes present on the back and shoulders. It is more common in premature infants. It is rubbed off with normal friction by 2 to 4 weeks of age.
Newborn screening tests are tests to check for treatable diseases that can appear early in life. These tests can detect certain diseases before they cause serious damage. Newborns can then be given preventive treatment. The tests are provided by state departments of health. The diseases tested for vary somewhat from state to state.
While newborn screening tests are likely to find newborns with the diseases, like all tests, they are not perfect. Sometimes they incorrectly report a disease a child does not actually have. Therefore, all children who test positively for a disease should be tested again. Rarely, the tests do not identify children that actually do have the disease.
All states in the U.S. test for two diseases:
Hypothyroidism and phenylketonuria can cause mental retardation if they are not treated.
Most states also test for disorders of hemoglobin, including sickle cell disease.
Many but not all states test for:
If any of these rare diseases are diagnosed and treated early, they can be improved or cured.
Some states have recently started testing for amino acid, organic acid, and fatty acid oxidation defects. In other states these tests are only available through private testing labs. Early diagnosis and treatment of these metabolic disorders may help to prevent serious problems like mental retardation. Although these disorders cannot be cured, the serious effects may be prevented or lessened if a particular diet or medicine is started early in the child's life.
The tests are run on small amounts of blood obtained by making a tiny cut in the baby's heel. Well infants are usually tested just before they go home from the hospital, but not later than 72 hours after birth. Sick or premature infants are tested at 1 week of age (earlier if a screenable disease is suspected).
If a test does suggest your child has a disease, the health department will contact you and your baby's doctor. If the tests do not show any diseases, you will generally not be contacted. Your baby's doctor usually has copies of the newborn screening test results.
If your baby needs a blood transfusion, the blood for the tests should be collected before the transfusion.
Some states provide a second set of newborn screening tests between 1 and 2 weeks of age. This is particularly important if the newborn leaves the hospital less than 24 hours after birth.
Parents may refuse to have their newborn screened because of their religious beliefs or, in many states, because of their personal beliefs. Parents who refuse to have the testing done should sign waiver forms for the medical records.
Additional information on newborn screening tests is available from your health care provider or from the state health department.
You may bathe your baby daily, but for the first few months, 2 or 3 times a week is often enough for a full bath. Clean your baby's drools and spills as they happen and keep the face, hands and diaper area clean.
Keep the bath water level below the naval or give sponge baths until a few days after the navel cord has fallen off. Submerging the cord could cause infection or interfere with its drying out and falling off. Getting the cord a little wet doesn't matter.
Use tap water without any soap or with a nondrying baby soap. Don't forget to wash the face and neck; otherwise, chemicals from dribbled milk and food can build up and cause an irritated rash. Also rinse off the eyelids with water.
Don't forget to wash the genital area. However, when you wash the inside of the female genital area (the vulva), never use soap. Rinse the area with plain water and wipe from front to back to prevent irritation. This practice and the avoidance of any bubble baths before puberty may prevent many urinary tract infections and vaginal irritations. At the end of the bath, rinse your baby well; soap residue can be irritating.
After you remove a wet diaper, just rinse your baby's bottom off with a wet washcloth or diaper wipe. After soiled diapers, rinse the bottom under running warm water or in a basin of warm water. You can't clean BMs off the skin with diaper wipes alone. Millions of bacteria will remain and cause diaper rashes. After you clean the rear, cleanse the genital area by wiping front to back with a wet cloth. If you have a boy, carefully clean the scrotum. If you have a girl, carefully clean the creases of the vaginal lips (labia).
Wash your baby's hair once or twice a week with a special baby shampoo that doesn't sting the eyes. Don't be concerned about hurting the anterior fontanelle (soft spot on the head). It is well protected.
Newborn skin normally does not require any ointments or creams. Especially avoid putting any oil, ointment, or greasy substance on your baby's skin because this will almost always block the small sweat glands and lead to pimples or a heat rash. If the skin starts to become dry and cracked, use a baby lotion, hand lotion, or moisturizing cream twice a day.
Cornstarch powder can be helpful for preventing rashes in areas of friction. Avoid talcum powder because it can cause a serious chemical pneumonia if inhaled into the lungs.
Try to keep the cord dry. Put rubbing alcohol on the base of the cord (where it attaches to the skin) twice a day (including after the bath) until 1 week after it falls off. Although using alcohol can delay the separation of the cord by 1 or 2 days, it does prevent cord infections, and that's what is most important. Air exposure helps the cord stay dry and eventually fall off, so keep diapers folded down below the cord area. If you are using disposable diapers, you can cut a wedge out of the diaper scissors so the cord is not covered.
Cut the toenails straight across to prevent ingrown toenails. When you cut fingernails, round off the corners of the nails so your baby doesn't scratch himself or others.
Trim the nails once a week after a bath, when the nails are softened by the bath. Use clippers or special baby scissors. This job usually takes two people unless you do it while your child is asleep.
Here's what you might see your baby doing between the ages of 0 and 2 weeks old.
Each child is unique. It is therefore difficult to describe exactly what should be expected at each stage of a child's development. While certain behaviors and physical milestones tend to occur at certain ages, a wide spectrum of growth and behavior for each age is normal. These guidelines are offered as a way of showing a general progression through the developmental stages rather than as fixed requirements for normal development at specific ages. It is perfectly natural for a child to attain some milestones earlier and other milestones later than the general trend.
If you have any concerns related to your child's own pattern of development, check with your pediatrician or family physician.
Yes, babies born prematurely (before the due date) may need special care during their first 2 years, especially if they were very small at birth (less than 3 pounds). Here's some advice on how to care for your baby when he or she comes home from the hospital.
It's important to take your baby to your doctor's office soon after the baby leaves the hospital. Your doctor will check your baby's weight gain and find out how your baby is doing at home.
Talk with your doctor about feeding your baby. Your doctor may recommend vitamins, iron, and a special formula if the baby is bottle-fed. Vitamins are often given to premature babies to help them grow and stay healthy. Your baby also may need extra iron. After about 4 months of taking iron drops, your baby will have about the same amount of iron as a full-term baby. Your doctor may want your baby to take iron drops for a year or longer.
Your baby may not grow at the same rate as a full-term baby for the first 2 years. Premature babies are usually smaller during this time. Sometimes they grow in bursts. They usually catch up with "term" babies after a while. To keep a record of your baby's growth, your doctor can use special growth charts for premature babies. Your doctor will also want to know things like how active your baby is, when your baby sits up for the first time and when your baby crawls for the first time. These are things doctors want to know about all babies.
At first, most premature babies need 8 to 10 feedings a day. Don't wait longer than 4 hours between feedings, because if you do, your baby may get dehydrated (dehydrated means lacking fluids). Six to 8 wet diapers a day show that your baby is getting enough breast milk or formula. Premature babies often spit up after a feeding. If your baby spits up too much, he or she may not gain enough weight. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you think your baby is spitting up too much.
Most doctors advise giving a premature baby solid food at 4 to 6 months after the baby's original due date (not the birth date). Premature babies may choke if solid food is given earlier. They have to develop their swallowing ability. If your baby has medical problems, a special diet may be helpful.
Although premature babies sleep more hours each day than full-term babies, they sleep for shorter periods of time. They wake up more often (and they wake you up more often!).
All babies, including premature babies, should be put to bed on their backs, not on their stomachs. Use a firm mattress and no pillow. Sleeping on the stomach and sleeping on soft mattresses may increase your baby's risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Crossed eyes are more common in premature babies than in full-term babies. The medical word for this is strabismus (say this: "straw-biz-mas"). Often, this problem goes away on its own as your baby grows up. Your doctor may want you to take your baby to an eye doctor if your baby has this problem.
Some premature babies have an eye disease called retinopathy of prematurity (called ROP, for short). ROP usually only occurs in babies who are born very early, at 32 weeks of pregnancy or earlier. If there's a chance your baby has ROP, your doctor will advise you to take the baby for regular check-ups by an eye doctor. ROP can be treated to help prevent vision loss.
Premature babies are also more likely than full-term babies to have hearing problems. If you notice that your baby doesn't seem to hear you, tell your doctor so your baby can be checked for hearing problems. You can check your baby's hearing by making noises behind or to the side of the baby. If your baby doesn't turn his or her head, or jump at a loud noise, you should tell your doctor.
Immunizations ("shots") are given to premature babies at the same ages they are given to full-term babies. Your baby might be helped by getting a flu shot when she or he reaches 6 months of age. Premature babies might get sicker with the flu than full-term babies. Talk with your doctor about flu shots for your family. This can help protect your baby from catching the flu from someone in the family.
When traveling with your baby in a car, use an infant car seat (or another kind of infant carrier, if your doctor advises). Be sure that your baby's head and body don't slump over when he or she is in the car seat. You can use rolled-up towels or diapers to give your baby support in the car seat.
The safest place for all babies is to ride in the back seat. It's especially important not to put your baby in the front seat if your car has an air bag on the passenger's side. When you're driving in the car with your baby, keep an eye on your baby by looking at him or her in your rear-view mirror. Or you can have a friend or family member ride in the back seat with your baby. If you're using an apnea monitor for your baby, it should be used even while your baby is riding in the car. Your baby shouldn't be left alone in the car, not even for a few minutes.
A newborn is a baby less than 1 month old. He or she mainly eats, sleeps, cries a little, and needs a lot of love and his or her diapers changed frequently. If a newborn is ill, the symptoms can be subtle. Also, an ill newborn can very quickly get much sicker. If a newborn is sick at all, the illness can be serious.
Call IMMEDIATELY if:
* In general, do not take an infant's temperature unless he or she feels hot or looks sick.
