PT Health Life – Taking care of newborns is confusing and often difficult for most young mothers, especially those giving birth for the first time. To best prepare for your baby’s health, parents need to pay attention to the following things when taking care of their newborn.
1. Things to remember when taking care of newborns
1. Let your child sleep properly
Newborns often wake up at night to feed every 2 – 3 hours. Here are some things to keep in mind when putting your baby to sleep:
Children should sleep on a firm, flat surface (usually a bed/crib). Hammocks, bouncers, strollers, carriers, and swings are not recommended for sleep in infants under 4 months.
Parents should sleep in the same room but not in the same bed as their baby, preferably in the first six months.
Keep the room warm, especially in cold climates, making sure to add extra moisture to your baby if their skin is dry or the weather is dry.
Parents dress their children in 1 layer of clothing or wrap them with a towel of appropriate thickness for the weather. When wrapping a newborn in a towel, always let the baby lie on his or her back while being wrapped. Once the baby learns to roll over (usually when the baby is 3 to 4 months old, but can happen earlier), swaddling is no longer appropriate, as it can increase the risk of suffocation if the baby moves into a sleeping position. prone position.
Children are at high risk of sudden increases and hypothermia because their nervous systems are not yet mature enough to self-regulate their body temperature. Children’s body temperature should be kept at 36.5 – 37.5 degrees Celsius by:
- The room needs to be warm enough, so adjust the appropriate room temperature to 27 – 28 degrees Celsius during the day; 28 – 29 degrees Celsius at night. Have your child wear clothes, gloves, socks, a hat, and a thin blanket when lying in air conditioning.
- In addition to the newborn’s sleep at night, the baby should not be kept in the air conditioner for more than 4 consecutive hours during the day. After about 4 hours, take the baby outside at normal temperature for 10 – 15 minutes.
- Check the child’s body temperature with a thermometer. If you see the child sweating, you need to dry it, especially the back area, otherwise the child may be infected with a respiratory disease.
- Avoid sudden changes in temperature, you should open the door 10 minutes in advance to let your child get used to the outside air.
2. Eye care
Newborns often have teary and irritated eyes in the first days after birth. At this time, the child may have conjunctivitis, take the child to the doctor for appropriate treatment. At the same time, it is necessary to build a suitable diet for children with lots of green vegetables, fish, meat, eggs, soy milk, sesame oil, and fruits of all kinds that are beneficial for the eyes.
Let your child eat and sleep enough at the prescribed time. Avoid external factors such as smoke, dust, and sunlight by wearing dust and sun protection glasses to avoid damage to your child’s eyes.
3. Umbilical cord care
The baby’s umbilical cord will dry and fall off on its own about 5 – 21 days after birth. If the umbilical cord is not taken care of carefully, it can easily become infected .
If you see your child has the following symptoms, take the child to the hospital: The child has a fever, the umbilical cord has a foul smell or the umbilical cord has pus, the skin around the umbilical cord is red and tender, the child cries when you gently touch the umbilical cord or umbilical cord. swelling and bleeding.
4. Monitor your child’s health at home
Parents need to pay attention to having their children re-examined and vaccinated according to the scheduled appointment or take their children to the doctor immediately if they have the following dangerous signs: Seizures; Rapid breathing (breathing rate > 60 times/minute), chest indrawing breathing; No flexible movements; Fever/high body temperature (>38°C) or low body temperature (<35.5°C); Jaundice in the first 24 hours after birth, or jaundice on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. And finally, the most important thing is to always remember to wash your hands when taking care of children.
5. Infant vaccination schedule according to the national program
– Newborns: Tuberculosis, hepatitis B. Inject within the first 24 hours after birth.
– Children 02 months: Diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Hepatitis B, Hib 1st dose, Polio 1st dose.
– Children 03 months: Diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Hepatitis B , 2nd dose of Hib, 2nd dose of Polio.
– Children 04 months: Diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Hepatitis B, 3rd dose of Hib, 3rd dose of polio.
– Children 5 months old: Injectable polio (IPV).
– 9 month old child: Nasal measles 1.
– Children 18 months: Diphtheria , pertussis, tetanus 4.
– Children 1-5 years old: Japanese encephalitis nasal 1.
– Japanese encephalitis dose 2 (1-2 weeks after dose 1).
– Japanese encephalitis, dose 3 (1 year after dose 2).
