 |
|
|
Newborn Baby Care Basics |
||
|
From the moment the baby is born, every
second of life calls for the active participation and contribution from
both parents and baby. This child-rearing knowledge and experience are
vital for you to look after your baby. Child-rearing is more of an art
than science because each parent-child pair is a unique unit. The
significant changes that occur in the first month of life will be
highlighted here, these changes are in fact, measurable indicators of
health and outcomes of good care. Attainment of these health indicators
should then reassure you that your baby is well. This will further
boost your confidence as a parent and encourage your subsequent
parenting efforts. Average measurements at birth
Weight: 3.0 kg (6 lbs 10 oz) - 4.0 kg (8 lbs 10 oz); tall or heavy
parents will more likely have heavier babies, so is a diabetic mother.
Mother who suffers from chronic illnesses or who are smokers are likely
to have lighter babies. Girls are smaller and so are twins and
first-born babies. It is normal for the baby to lose some weight
(approximately 10 % drop from birth weight) in the first few days after
birth as a result of loss of body water. Your bay will regain his
weight by the second week of life. Umbilical cord stump care
The umbilical cord stump begins to dry, shrink in size and darken. This
is a common site through which germs can invade. Watch for sign of
redness or foul odor which is suggestive of infection. Frequent (every
6 hours) application of cord spirit onto the stump will keep the
bacterial growth under control. There is also no need to protect the
stump by covering it. Breathing pattern
Normal breathing rate is about 60 breaths per minute soon after birth,
this then settles to about 30-40 breaths per minute within 6 hours of
life. The breathing should be regular. However, occasional short
periods where there is no breathing can be observed and these should
last less than 10 seconds and should not be associated with a bluish
change in color. Body temperature
Your baby’s body mechanism to regulate his body temperature in response
to changes in the surrounding temperature is still inefficient. A baby
exposed to the cold environment needs a lot of energy to keep him warm.
Serious consequences can occur if the air temperature drops suddenly
and markedly when a baby is asleep.
|
||
|
|
||