How Late Can You Give Routine Newborn Care?

Discussion Routine newborn screening and treatment is focused on assisting the infant’s transition to extrauterine life, screening for health problems that may or may not be easily identifiable, and preventing acute or chronic health problems. Healthy infants begin with healthy pregnancies including risk factor assessment and screening of mothers. Such routine maternal screening and treatment does or may include glucose tolerance tests, ultrasound examinations, screenings for maternal blood type (with appropriate administration of Rho(D) immunoglobulin if appropriate), Hepatitis B, Neisseria gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Cytomegalovirus, Syphilis, Rubella, and Group B Streptococcal infection. Initial assessments of newborns include Apgar scores (initial cardiovascular status at birth) and Ballard scores (estimate of gestation) which are non-invasive. At risk infants may also have additional monitoring for Group B Streptococcal infection and hypoglycemia (ex. small or large for gestational age infant, infants of diabetic mothers). Following recommendations and guidelines, at risk infants are also screened for possible drugs of abuse, and hemolysis (blood type and direct antibody testing). Around 24 hours of life many common newborn screenings are completed which usually include weighing the infant, and non-invasive screening for hyperbilirubinemia, congenital heart disease, and hearing problems. Invasive (heel-prick) screening for newborn screening for a variety of common ge...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news