Care of normal newborn

care of the new born

1. Care of normal newborn DEFINITION From birth to 4 weeks (28 days ) of age , the baby is called neonates or newborn. Early neonatal period :- from birth to 7 days of life or 168 days of 168 hours, is early neonatal period . Late neonatal period : from 7 th day to 28 th days of life is late neonatal period . Live birth :- live birth is defined as complete expulsion or extraction from mother of product of conception , which after separation shows signs of life for the least 1 hour . Term baby :-any neonate born between 37-42 weeks of gestation is known as term baby. Pre term :- any neonate born before 37 th week of gestation is called pre-term . Post term :- any neonate born at or after 42 weeks of gestation is known as post term . Perinatal period :- the period extending from 22 nd week of gestation to 7 th days after birth is known as perinatal period .

2. Classification according to size Low birth weight (LBW) infant – an infant whose birth weight is less than 2500g , regardless of gestational age. Moderately low birth weight (MLBW) infant :- an infant whose birth weight is 1501-2500g. Very low birth weight (VLBW) infant – an infant whose birth weight is less than 15000g. Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infant –an infant whose birth weight is less than 1000g. Appropriate for gestational age (APA). Small for dates (SFD) or small for gestational age (SGA). Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) – found in infants whose intrauterine growth is retarded. Large for gestational age (LGA)-

3. Classification According To Gestational Age Premature ( preterm ) infant – an infant born before completion of 37 weeks of gestation , regardless of birth weight . Full term infant – an infant born between the beginning of 38 weeks and completion of 42 weeks of gestation , regardless of birth weight. Post mature ( post –term) infant – an infant born after 42 weeks of gestational age , regardless of birth weight.

4. Classification According to mortality Fetal death – Death of the fetas after 20 weeks of gestation and before delivery , with absence of any sign of life after birth . Neonate death – Death that occures in the first 27 days of life is known as neonatal death . Early neonatal death occures in the first week and late neonatal death occurs between 7 to 27 days . Perinatal mortality – describes the total number of fetal and early neonatal deaths per 1000 live births. Postnatal death – Death of neonate that occurs between 28 days to 1 year.

5. Care of newborn Care of the newborn at birth is primarily aimed at helping the new born to adapt physiologically to extra uterine environment . This physiological adaptation includes – initiation of respiration and oxygenation of arterial blood . Temperature regulation. Initiation of feeding.