Early and close contact between the mother and neonate (newborn) has many well-established benefits. The ideal setting for care of a healthy, term newborn while in the hospital is in the mother’s room, commonly called “rooming-in.” Current evidence suggests the risk of a neonate acquiring SARS-CoV-2 from its mother is low. Further, data suggests that there is no difference in risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection to the neonate whether a neonate is cared for in a separate room or remains in the mother’s room.
There is, however, a potential risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to the neonate via contact with infectious respiratory secretions from the mother, caregiver, or other person with SARS-CoV-2 infection, including just before the individual develops symptoms when viral replication may be high. As such, all caregivers should practice infection prevention and control measures (i.e., wearing a mask, practicing hand hygiene) before and while caring for a neonate.
Mothers with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection may feel uncomfortable with this potential risk. Ideally, each mother and her healthcare providers should discuss whether she would like the neonate to be cared for in her room or a separate location if she is suspected or confirmed of having COVID-19, weighing the considerations listed below. It’s easiest to begin this conversation during prenatal care and continue it through the intrapartum period. Healthcare providers should respect maternal autonomy in the medical decision-making process.
Considerations for discussions on whether a neonate should remain in the mother’s room include:
Mothers who room-in with their infants can more easily learn and respond to their feeding cues, which helps establish breastfeeding. Breastfeeding reduces morbidity and mortality for both mothers and their infants. Mothers who choose to breastfeed should take measures, including wearing a mask and practicing hand hygiene, to minimize the risk of virus transmission while feeding. Additional information for healthcare providers on breastfeeding in the context of COVID-19 is available.
Mother-infant bonding is facilitated by keeping the neonate with its mother.
Rooming-in promotes family-centered care and can allow for parent education about newborn care and infection prevention and control practices.
Mothers with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection should not be considered as posing a potential risk of virus transmission to their neonates if they have met the criteria for discontinuing isolation and precautions:
At least 10 days have passed since their symptoms first appeared (up to 20 days if they have more severe to critical illness or are severely immunocompromised), and
At least 24 hours have passed since their last fever without the use of antipyretics, and
Their other symptoms have improved.
Mothers who have not met these criteria may choose to temporarily separate from their neonates in effort to reduce the risk of virus transmission. However, if after discharge they will not be able to maintain separation from their neonate until they meet the criteria, it is unclear whether temporary separation while in the hospital would ultimately prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission to the neonate, given the potential for exposure from the mother after discharge.
Separation may be necessary for mothers who are too ill to care for their infants or who need higher levels of care.
Separation may be necessary for neonates at higher risk for severe illness (e.g., preterm infants, infants with underlying medical conditions, infants needing higher levels of care).
Separation in order to reduce the risk of transmission from a mother with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 to her neonate may not be necessary if the neonate tests positive for SARS-CoV-2.
Snippet from: cdc.gov/caring for newborns
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When to test
Both symptomatic and asymptomatic neonates born to mothers with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, regardless of mother’s symptoms, should have testing performed at approximately 24 hours of age. If initial test results are negative, or not available, testing should be repeated at 48 hours of age.
For asymptomatic neonates expected to be discharged at <48 hours of age, a single test can be performed prior to discharge, between 24-48 hours of age.
Prioritization of testing
In areas with limited testing capacity, testing should be prioritized for neonates with signs suggestive of COVID-19 as well neonates with SARS-CoV-2 exposure requiring higher levels of care or who are expected to have prolonged hospitalizations (>48-72 hours depending on delivery mode).
Limitations and interpretation of testing
The optimal timing of testing after birth is unknown. Early testing may lead to false positives (e.g., if the neonate’s nares, nasopharynx and/or oropharynx are contaminated by SARS-CoV-2 RNA in maternal fluids) or false negatives (e.g., RNA may not yet be detectable immediately after exposure following birth).
Snippet from: cdc.gov/caring for newborns
Snippet from: cdc.gov/Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
]]>In rare cases, flu complications can lead to death.
Children younger than 6 months have the highest risk for being hospitalized from flu compared to children of other ages but are too young to get a flu vaccine. Because flu vaccines are not approved for use in children younger than 6 months old, protecting them from flu is especially important.
Snippet from: cdc.gov/protect against flu
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His head may be smooshed from his journey through the birth canal, and he might be sporting a "bodysuit" of fine hair called lanugo. He could also be puffy-faced and have eyes that are often shut (and a little gooey). After all, he just spent nine months in the womb. But pretty soon, he'll resemble that beautiful baby you imagined.
2. Don't expect rewards - smiles or coos - until about the 6-week mark.
Up until then, you're working for a boss who only complains! To get through the exhaustion and emotional upheaval, keep this in mind: your efforts aren't lost on baby in those early days. "He feels comforted by his father or mother, he feels attachment, he likes to be held," says Los Angeles-based pediatrician Christopher Tolcher, M.D.
3. Giving baby sponge baths until the umbilical cord falls off.
If it's kept dry, it falls off faster – usually within two weeks. Besides, newborns don't get very dirty! If the umbilical cord does get wet, pat it dry. And if the stump bleeds a little when the cord falls off, that's okay, too, as Alyson Bracken, of West Roxbury, Massachusetts, learned. "It scared me at first," she says, but then she found out that, as with a scab, mild bleeding was normal.
4. The soft spot can handle some handling.
"I was terrified of the soft spot," admits April Hardwick, of New York City, referring to the opening in the skull, also called the fontanel, which allows baby to maneuver out of the birth canal. "Gemma had a full head of hair at birth, and I was initially afraid to comb over the soft spot," Hardwick says. But there was no need to worry: "It's okay to touch the soft spot and baby's hair near it," says Tanya Remer Altmann, M.D, pediatrician and author of Mommy Calls. The spot may pulsate because it's directly over blood vessels covering the brain.
Snippet from: Your Newborn: 10 Things to Know About Newborns (Copyright © 2019 Parents.com)
Your husband, who helped you through your pregnancy, may seem at a loss now that baby's here. It's up to you, Mom, to hand the baby over and let Dad figure things out, just like you're doing.
Let him be. Many first-time dads hesitate to get involved for fear of doing something wrong and incurring the wrath of Mom. "Moms need to allow their husbands to make mistakes without criticizing them," says Armin Brott, author of The New Father: A Dad's Guide to the First Year (Abbeville Press).
Ask Dad to take time off from work -- after all the relatives leave. That's what Thad Calabrese, of Brooklyn, New York, did. "There was more for me to do, and I got some alone time with my son."
Divvy up duties. Mark DiStefano, a dad in Los Angeles, took over the cleaning and grocery shopping. "I also took Ben for a bit each afternoon so my wife could have a little time to herself."
Remember that Dad wants to do some fun stuff, too. "I used to take my shirt off and put the baby on my chest while we napped," says Bob Vonnegut, a dad in Islamorada, Florida. "I loved the rhythm of our hearts beating together."
Snippet from: Your Newborn: 30 tips for the first 30 days (Copyright © 2018 Parents.com)
Babies eat and eat and eat. Although nature has done a pretty good job of providing you and your baby with the right equipment, in the beginning it's almost guaranteed to be harder than you expected. From sore nipples to tough latch-ons, nursing can seem overwhelming.
Women who seek help have a higher success rate. "Think of ways to ensure success before you even give birth," suggests Stacey Brosnan, a lactation consultant in New York City. Talk with friends who had a good nursing experience, ask baby's pediatrician for a lactation consultant's number, or attend a La Leche League (nursing support group) meeting (see laleche.org to find one).
Use hospital resources. Kira Sexton, a Brooklyn, New York, mom, says, "I learned everything I could about breastfeeding before I left the hospital." Ask if there's a nursing class or a lactation consultant on staff. Push the nurse-call button each time you're ready to feed the baby, and ask a nurse to spot you and offer advice.
Prepare. At home, you'll want to drop everything to feed the baby the moment she cries for you. But Heather O'Donnell, a mom in New York City, suggests taking care of yourself first. "Get a glass of water and a book or magazine to read." And, because breastfeeding can take a while, she says, "pee first!"
Try a warm compress if your breasts are engorged or you have blocked ducts. A heating pad or a warm, wet washcloth works, but a flax pillow (often sold with natural beauty products) is even better. "Heat it in the microwave, and conform it to your breast," says Laura Kriska, a mom in Brooklyn, New York.
Heat helps the milk flow, but if your breasts are sore after nursing, try a cold pack. Amy Hooker, a San Diego mom, says, "A bag of frozen peas worked really well for me."
If you want baby to eventually take a bottle, introduce it after breastfeeding is established but before the 3-month mark. Many experts say 6 to 8 weeks is good, but "we started each of our kids on one bottle a day at 3 weeks," says Jill Sizemore, a mom in Pendleton, Indiana.
Snippet from: Your Newborn: 30 tips for the first 30 days (Copyright © 2018 Parents.com)
If your infant isn't eating, he's probably sleeping. Newborns log as many as 16 hours of sleep a day but only in short bursts. The result: You'll feel on constant alert and more exhausted than you ever thought possible. Even the best of us can come to resent the severe sleep deprivation.
Stop obsessing about being tired: There's only one goal right now 'Care for your baby.' "You're not going to get a full night's sleep, so you can either be tired and angry or just tired," says Vicki Lansky, author of Getting Your Child to Sleep...and Back to Sleep (Book Peddlers). "Just tired is easier."
Take shifts: One night it's Mom's turn to rock the cranky baby, the next it's Dad's turn. Amy Reichardt and her husband, Richard, parents in Denver, worked out a system for the weekends, when Richard was off from work. "I'd be up with the baby at night but got to sleep in. Richard did all the morning care, then got to nap later."
The old adage "Sleep when your baby sleeps" really is the best advice "Take naps together and go to bed early," says Sarah Clark, a mom in Washington, D.C.
What if your infant has trouble sleeping? Do whatever it takes: Nurse or rock baby to sleep; let your newborn fall asleep on your chest or in the car seat. "Don't worry about bad habits yet. It's about survival -- yours!" says Jean Farnham, a Los Angeles mom.
Snippet from: Your Newborn: 30 tips for the first 30 days (Copyright © 2018 Parents.com)
There are several things which will change in your life when you will bring your baby home; but remember it is not only your environment which is changing, for a baby its a very new experience as well since they are coming from a completely different planet. While everything is new for the baby it is a great idea to provide him/her familiar environment and same/similar comfort they are used to of before they were born. The more comfortable and familiar environment you can provide, the easier this transaction would be for all involved. In the next few weeks we will discuss the topics specifically covering this transition for new parents who are bringing their cutest little adventurer home.
"The key to soothing fussy infants is to mimic the womb. Swaddling, shushing, and swinging, as well as allowing babies to suck and holding them on their sides, may trigger a calming reflex," says Harvey Karp, MD, creator of The Happiest Baby on the Blockbooks, videos, and DVDs.
Play tunes. Forget the dubious theory that music makes a baby smarter, and concentrate on the fact that it's likely to calm him. "The Baby Lamby saved us," says Anna Reid, a mom in Austin, Texas.
Warm things up. Alexandra Komisaruk, a mom in Los Angeles, found that diaper changes triggered a meltdown. "I made warm wipes using paper towels and a pumpable thermos of warm water," she says. You can also buy an electric wipe warmer for a sensitive baby.
You'll need other tricks, too. "Doing deep knee bends and lunges while holding my daughter calmed her down," says Emily Earle, a mom in Brooklyn, New York. "And the upside was, I got my legs back in shape!"
Soak to soothe. If all else fails -- and baby's umbilical cord stub has fallen off -- try a warm bath together. "You'll relax, too, and a relaxed mommy can calm a baby," says Emily Franklin, a Boston mom.
Snippet from: Your Newborn: 30 tips for the first 30 days (Copyright © 2018 Parents.com)
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