There should be a plan to take care of newborns to improve on their survival and development
Priority Strategies on Newborns:
- It is possible to improve survival and health of newborns and end preventable stillbirths by reaching high coverage of quality antenatal care, skilled care at birth, postnatal care for mother and baby, and care of small and sick newborns.
- In settings with well-functioning midwife programmes the provision of midwife-led continuity of care (MLCC) can reduce preterm births by up to 24%.
- MLCC is a model of care in which a midwife or a team of midwives provide care to the same woman throughout her pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period, calling upon medical support if necessary.
- With the increase in facility births (almost 80% globally), there is a great opportunity for providing essential newborn care and identifying and managing high risk newborns.
- However, few women and newborns stay in the facility for the recommended 24 hours after birth, which is the most critical time when complications can present.
- In addition, too many newborns die at home because of early discharge from the hospital, barriers to access and delays in seeking care.
- The four recommended postnatal care contacts delivered at health facility or through home visits play a key role to reach these newborns and their familie
- Accelerated progress for neonatal survival and promotion of health and wellbeing requires strengthening quality of care as well as ensuring availability of quality health services or the small and sick newborn.
Essential Newborn Care
All babies should receive the following:
- Thermal protection (e.g. promoting skin-to-skin contact between mother and infant);
- Hygienic umbilical cord and skin care;
- Early and exclusive breastfeeding;
- Assessment for signs of serious health problems or need of additional care (e.g. those that are low-birth-weight, sick or have an HIV-infected mother
- Preventive treatment (e.g. immunization BCG and Hepatitis B, vitamin k and ocular prophylaxis)
Credit: WHO