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Postnatal Period
A New Family Member
What is the Apgar score?
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One minute — and
again five minutes —
after your baby is born,
doctors calculate his
Apgar score to see
how he's doing.
It's a simple process
that helps determine
whether your newborn
is ready to meet the
world without
additional medical
assistance.
What do the Apgar
scores mean?
The one-minute Apgar score
This helps your
practitioner decide
whether your baby needs
immediate medical help.
If your baby scores
between 7 and 10, it
usually means he's in
good shape and doesn't
need more than routine
post-delivery care
Premature Infant
How Does the Doctor Score a Baby?
It's easy to
remember what's
being tested by
thinking of the
letters in the name
"Apgar":
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Activity
Pulse
Grimace
Appearance
Respiration
Activity (muscle tone)
0 — Limp; no movement
1 — Some flexion of arms and legs
2 — Active motion
Pulse (heart rate)
0 — No heart rate
1 — Fewer than 100 beats per minute
2 — At least 100 beats per minute
Grimace (reflex response)
0 — No response to airways being
suctioned
1 — Grimace during suctioning
2 — Grimace and pull away, cough, or
sneeze during suctioning
Appearance (color)
0 — The baby's whole body is completely
bluish-gray or pale
1 — Good color in body with bluish hands
or feet
2 — Good color all over
Respiration (breathing)
0 — Not breathing
1 — Weak cry; may sound like
whimpering, slow or irregular breathing
2 — Good, strong cry; normal rate and
effort of breathing
Process of Bonding

Bonding is the
forming of lifelong
emotional ties
between parents
and newborn.
1.
2.
3.
Bonding can be
strengthened by:
Placing the baby in
the mother’s arms
or on her stomach
Having parents
stroke and talk to
the baby
Having the baby
nurse within
minutes of birth
What is Colostrum?


Right after birth,
the mother’s
breasts secrete a
fluid called
colostrum.
It is easy for the
newborn to digest
and is rich in
antibodies to
protect against
disease.
Rooming-in
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
Rooming-in involves
having the baby stay
in the same room with
the mother, rather
than in a central
nursery in the
hospital.
Rooming-in helps the
bonding process and
lets parents get to
know he baby and
learn proper care.
Mother’s Postnatal Care
Feeling Blue?


“Baby Blues” are feelings
of disappointment,
loneliness, or resentment
that sometimes occur
after the birth.
Moms need to talk over
their feelings with
someone sympathetic,
take some time away
from the baby, and take
good physical care of
herself.
Premature Newborns


A baby is considered
premature if it is born
before 8 ½ months or
weighs less than 5 ½ lbs.
(2.5 kg).
Some problems premature
newborns face include
immature digestive,
breathing and heat
regulation systems. They
are also prone to infections.
Incubators
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
A special type of crib
called an incubator,
provides premature
babies with a controlled
environment.
Oxygen supply
temperature and
humidity can all be
controlled.
Infant Reflexes
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Reflexes are instinctive, automatic
responses.
The purpose of reflexes are they help
the baby’s body function.
There are a number of reflexes that
we can see in a newborn.
Infant Reflexes
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
Startle or 'Moro'
If a loud noise occurs or
the baby’s stomach is
touched-Throws out her
legs and arms and arches
her back if her head
suddenly drops backwards
Rooting
If something touches the
baby’s lips or cheeks- Turns
her head towards your
finger, or nipple, stroked
across her cheek
Infant Reflexes
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
Stepping
Makes walking movements
when held upright with her
feet touching a flat surface
Grasp Reflex / Palmar
Closes her fist around
anything which touches
her palm
If something is pressed
into the baby’s palm, the
fingers will curl and hold
tight
Infant Reflexes
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
Blink
Blinks when you clap your
hands near her face
Diving
Closes the tract to her lungs,
keeps mouth and eyes open
and makes swimming
movements with arms and
legs when submerged in
water
Infant Reflexes
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
Sucking
Sucks you finger or nipple
rhythmically
Tracking
Follows moving objects
with her eyes
Newborn Needs
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Food- feed the baby immediately
when hungry. Babies need feeding
during the night for the sake of
nutrition, comfort and the
closeness they get by being with
you.
Sleep- let the baby sleep as
needed throughout the day. Your
newborn baby will sleep through
most noise and activity, though a
sudden noise might wake her. A
baby who seems very sleepy a lot
of the time and who doesn't wake
to feed may be ill, so don't assume
a baby like this is 'being good'
Newborn Needs
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Warmth- dress for
conditions
Exercise- let the
baby kick while
being diapered and
splash and wiggle
during he bath!
Cleanliness- bath
and diaper the
baby regularly
Newborn Needs
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Safety- Watch the baby when awake
Medical care – provide periodic
checkups in the first year
Play –Provide things to look at, touch,
listen to & play with. Babies do not
register soft colors for a year at least.
So a good choice is to get baby toys
and infant toys which have high
contrast colors. Red, black and white
are the best colors for stimulating very
young babies.
Newborn Needs

Love- Provide close
contact with baby and
show that love is felt!