Health Tips for New Born Baby

Health Tips for New Born Baby

The experience of being propelled into the outside world after more than nine months of well-protected and comfortable existence in the womb is bound to be somewhat traumatic for the baby. It has to adapt itself to an entirely new environment, in literally an instant.



The reason why the baby begins its independent existence with crying is that crying is vitally necessary for it to keep alive. It is the act of crying that sets the process of respiration going opens up the clogged lungs and infuses oxygen into the blood. The more efficient and facile this rhythmic process of respiration is in the first few seconds of the life of the baby, the healthier and longer-lived is the existence of the baby likely to be. If by unlucky chance the baby does not begin to cry within a such a case, if a doctor or a qualified nurse is not present to take matters in hand, efforts should be made by whoever is present to stat the process of breathing by thumping the baby lightly on its back. Splashing cold water on the baby may also set the baby gasping, and so may initiate respiration, as testified to by its beginning to cry lustily.

The environments in the confinement room: In some cases of deliveries at home, and regrettably, even in some maternity homes where qualified persons and experienced midwives are expected to be better informed, some misguided procedures are adopted towards ensuring the safety and well being of the baby. Very often the doors and windows of the confinement room are either closed or curtained heavily, thus cutting off fresh air and light. This is not at all conductive to the health of the new-born baby. Provision must always be made for the ingress of fresh air and plenty of daylight into the confinement room. Cleanliness, absence of unnecessary and superfluous things, and a peaceful atmosphere are other essential requirements. Crowds of women collecting in the room under the excuse of inquiring after the welfare of the mother and the baby, and the noise created by their loudly mouthed exhortations have a very disquieting effect on the baby.

The baby should be protected from extremes of cold in winter and heat in summer by using appliances like fans and radiator, and measures should be taken to prevent or reduce the pollution of the atmosphere in the room by unclean air and noise as well as unclean food and water, as these may easily affect the baby’s health adversely, Microorganisms in the air and harm its delicate cells. Hence the necessity of ensuring cleanliness and orderly arrangement, and preserving the purity confinement room with incense smoke every now and then, as this will irritate the eyes of the baby, and cause difficulty in its breathing. Of course, the room should be cleaned once a day with a very dilute solution of phenol.

Measures to be taken immediately after birth: It should be ensured that the baby starts breathing as soon as a it is born. After that, it should be sponged all over with a soft towel dipped in clean lukewarm water, wrapped up in clean cotton cloth, and laid gently in soft bed. Its eyes should be cleaned with wads of cotton wool. The ears, nose and mouth also should be similarly cleaned. The new born baby should then be weighted and its weight recorded.

Its should not be forgotten that as soon as the above primary steps of cleaning etc. Have been completed, the baby should be handed over without any further delay to the mother. The sooner the baby is in the arms of the mother, the better for both. The contact builds a bridge of mutual understanding and love between the two, and the baby acquires an amour of security and love by the tender touch and caresses of the mother.