Services
Newborn care
Welcoming a new baby or babies into your home is a wonderful experience.
It can also be overwhelming and hectic. Families welcoming a new baby need a helping hand. Even for the most seasoned of parents, having a new baby in the home can be overwhelming. Our specialists educate, support and assist with newborn care so you may enjoy your role as new parents and get much-needed rest!
It can also be overwhelming and hectic. Families welcoming a new baby need a helping hand. Even for the most seasoned of parents, having a new baby in the home can be overwhelming. Our specialists educate, support and assist with newborn care so you may enjoy your role as new parents and get much-needed rest!
After your baby is born, a doctor or nurse will perform a series of tests to determine your baby’s physical condition. A routine evaluation, called the Apgar test, is used to identify whether your baby needs urgent medical care. After delivery, your baby will also be given a vitamin K shot, and newborn screening tests. Your baby may also receive a hearing test and a hepatitis B vaccine,BCG and polio drops.
What happens during an Apgar test?
During an Apgar test, your baby’s heart rate, breathing, reflex response, muscle tone, and skin coloration are measured. These five signs are evaluated at one minute after birth and at five minutes after birth. Each test is given a score between zero and two, and the five scores are added together to make up the Apgar score. The ability of the infant to maintain their temper‐ ature and sustain a normal heart and respiratory rate is a general indicator for a successful transition.
What are newborn screening tests?
All newborns are screened for certain conditions. With early detection, these conditions can be prevented or treated. Your baby’s heel will be pricked and a sample of blood taken to test for many different conditions.
Why does a newborn need a hearing test?
Hearing screen of all newborns is the gold standard of care . Early treatment of hearing loss can prevent fu‐ ture speech and language problems. A small earphone or microphone will be placed in your baby’s ears to see how your baby’s brain responds to sounds. Your baby needs to be asleep for this test to be accurate. If your baby does not pass, it does not mean he or she has hearing loss, but the test will be repeated.
What is Newborn Screening for Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD)?
Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD) is a group of heart or vascular problems present at birth.
Approximately 11 out of 10,000 babies are born with CCHD. CCHD may be life threatening and may require intervention in infancy. It is not always detected prenatally or upon exam in the nursery. To improve the early detection of CCHD, it is recommended the screening be added to the newborn screening before discharge to home. A pulse oximeter designed for newborns is used to screen for CCHD. A sensor is wrapped around the hand and another sensor is placed on either foot. Pulse oximetry newborn screening can identify some infants with CCHD before they show signs of the condition.
Why is it important to lay my baby on their back to sleep?
Prevention of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)begins in the newborn nursery. Placing infants on their back to sleep has reduced the rate of SIDS almost 50% in the last 12 years.