Summary
- APGAR is the method used to assess quickly the fetal condition. It can be measured by five criteria, each scoring zero to two, and the highest score is ten while the lowest is zero. The five scoring criteria are appearance, pulse, grimace, activity and respiration rate.
- Neonate care is the simple care given to all newborn babies irrespective of their degree of asphyxia. Following steps of essential newborn care are the following:
- Put the baby onto mother's abdomen or a warm, dry surface close to the mother.
- Dry the newborn.
- Assess breathing and colour.
- Tie and cut the cord.
- Place the baby in skin-to-skin contact and on the breast to initiate breastfeeding.
- Give eye care.
- Give vitamin K.
- Weigh baby.
- Identification.
- Record your findings.
- Skin-to-skin contact is necessary preventing heat loss and promoting bonding. Early breast initiation is essential for the newborn as it nourishes, prevent infection and help the baby and mother to know each other.
- Whenever you are providing immediate new care, have the equipment required for newborn resuscitation ready:
- Two clean linen or cotton cloths: one to dry the newborn and another one to wrap him.
- A plastic bulb syringe to remove secretions from the mouth and nose, especially when meconium is present.
- An Ambu-bag and mask to give oxygen directly into the baby's lungs.
- A trained person in neonatal resuscitation area (like you).
- A heat source (lamp), if possible.
Asphyxia is low oxygen in the blood. Neonatal asphyxia is the occurrence of asphyxia in a newborn. It is classified as no asphyxia, moderate asphyxia and severe asphyxia.
If the child is not crying, gasping or breathing, not moving the limbs, floppy, cyanosed or meconium stained, the baby is probably severely asphyxiated and requires; call for help and estimate fetal heart beat if above than 60 beats/minute do suction then ventilation on and off. If the fetal heart beat is less than 60 beats/minute, do heart message the ventilation on and off.
Most babies breathe spontaneously after birth but some babies may not. If a baby breathes immediately after birth, it indicates that the baby was not asphyxiated in the uterus, and the respiratory and cardiovascular systems are working well.
- The procedure of neonatal resuscitation includes checking the fetal heartbeats, drying the baby and keeping its warmth, cleaning the secretions from the mouth and nose, if you diagnose asphyxia, start resuscitation, a ventilation rate of 40 breath/minute and evaluate the baby during ventilation.