Birth

The passage of a baby from its mothers uterus to the outside of her body is
called birth. During birth, the uterus contracts many times and pushes the
baby through the vagina and outside the mothers body. Labor is the process
that lasts from the time contractions start until the delivery of the child and
the placenta. Labor lasts a different amount of time for every woman and
every pregnancy. There are three distinct stages of labor: 1st Stage
Begins with the first contraction and lasts until the cervix has opened
enough to allow the baby to pass through. Contraction happens every few
minutes and lasts a minute. 2 nd Stage Starts when the cervix is
completely open and lasts until the baby is delivered. During this period,
contraction happens every 2-3 minutes. After the baby is born, the doctor
cuts the umbilical cord. Healthy babies breathe and cry almost immediately.
3 rd Stage This is the final stage of labor. It is when the placenta is
delivered. In this stage, the mothers uterine contractions push the placenta
or afterbirths out of her body. At this time, the birth is completed.
In some cases, doctors have to deliver a baby by a ceasarian section (CS). In
this procedure, the doctor surgically removes the baby and the placenta from
the mothers uterus. Cases like this happen when the mother cannot or is
not capable of delivering a normal childbirth.
Mothers role during and after pregnancy:
Avoid vices such as smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages.
Avoid stressful activities.
See to it that she gets the necessary pre-natal and post natal check-up.
Do exercises like walking, yoga, etc.
Eat nutritious food.
Fathers role during and after the pregnancy of the wife
: See to it that the mother gets the necessary pre-natal and post natal
check-up.
He must take care of the mother and the baby.
He should see to it that the necessary immunizations as scheduled are
strictly followed.
He should provide healthy diet meals for the mother and the child.
How to Take Care of a Pregnant Woman
Pregnant woman should be taken care of properly by doing the following:
Accompany a pregnant woman in a daily exercise for motivation. Give
fruits, vegetables, and lots of water. Listening to music relaxes a pregnant
woman and the baby in her womb. Let her sleep on her left side. Go
together with a pregnant woman during check-ups.
IMPORTANCE OF MATERNAL NUTRITION
Maternal nutritional status affects the offsprings health development
significantly during early embryogenesis, pregnancy, birth and lactation, and
subsequently determines health during growth and even throughout

adulthood. On the other end of the human lifetime scale, the importance of
maternal nutrition expands into the time period before conception:
Preconception nutritional status not only influences fertility, but also
embryogenesis and life-long health. Predisposition for coronary heart
diseases, type-2 diabetes mellitus, and hypertension can be caused by
intrauterine adaptations to fetal malnutrition. Hence, optimizing nutrition for
women during their reproductive period can be expected to have a great
impact on the well being of the next generation.
DIETARY PLAN DURING PREGNANCY
Body Building Foods
Fish, Meat, Poultry
Milk
Eggs
Dried Beans & Nuts
Energy-Giving Foods
Enriched rice
Root crops
Sugar
Fat
Body Regulating Foods
Green leafy and yellow vegetables
Vitamin C rich foods
Other fruits and vegetables
Newborn A new baby at home is exciting, but it can be scary, too. Newborns
have many needs, like frequent feedings and diaper changes. Babies can
have health issues that are different from older children and adults.
Essential Newborn Care
Protocol aimed to significantly reduce infant deaths in the country. Protocol
can pave the way to the reduction of neonatal deaths. Essential Newborn
Care is a comprehensive strategy to improve the health of the newborn
through interventions before conception, during pregnancy, soon after birth
and in the post natal period. This protocol will focus on the first few hours of
life of the newborn with the manual guiding the health workers and medical
practitioners in providing evidence-based essential newborn care. The
guidelines are categorized into the time bound and non-time bound plus
unnecessary procedures. Time bound procedures should be routinely
performed first which are: 1. immediate drying 2. skin to skin contact 3.
clamping of the cord after 1-3 minutes 4. non-separation of the newborn
from the mother 5. breastfeeding initiation
Non-time bound interventions include: 1. immunizations 2. eye care 3.
vitamin K administration 4. weighing 5. washing 6. routine suctioning 7.
routine separation of newborn for observation 8. administration of
prelacteals like glucose water or formula.
What are the disorders tested for newborn screening? The disorders
tested for newborn screening are: 1. Congenital Hypothyroidism (CH) 2.
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) 3. Galactosemia (GAL) 4.

Phenylketonuria (PKU) 5. Glucose-6-Phosphate-Dehydrogenase Deficiency

(G6PD Def.)
The behavioural development of a healthy baby: 0 -1 month suckles
and smiles 2-3 months vocalizes and controls head 4-5 months controls hand
and rolls over 6-7 months sits briefly and crawls 8-9 months grasps and pulls
up 10 11 months walks with support and stands alone

BREASTFEEDING It is the traditional and ideal form of infant feeding,

meeting an infants nutritional needs for his first four to six months of life.
Human milk is clean. It lowers the risk of intestinal illness and general
infection. Mothers milk provides a host of protective factors both cellular
and hormonal. Breastmilk contains antibodies that helps the immune system
of the infant strong. It is non-allergenic and easily digested.
LACTATION It is the period of milk production initiated by the prolactin
hormone in the mammary glands. The mothers milk is bluish and watery. It
has approximately 67 Kcalories / 100 mL or 20 Kcalories/ oz. and 1.2 grams
protein per 100 mL. An average of 850 mL of mothers milk is produced
everyday. The first thick yellowish fluid that comes out from second to the
fifth day after delivery is called colostrum. It should be given to all newborns
because of its high protein contents. Healthy childcare entails breastfeeding
of the baby.
Breastmilk is the best food since it contains essential nutrients suitable for
the infants needs. It is also natures first immunization, enabling the infant
to fight potentially serious infections. It contains growth factors that enhance
the maturization of an infants organ systems.