Practice 6: Essential Newborn Care

Keep the newborn baby warm, have body contact with the baby, keep the umbilical cord clean and avoid bathing the baby for the first 24 hours of birth.

• Talk about delayed bathing
• Ask the mother/family about when the baby should be bathed after being born and how the family takes care of the newborn baby.
• Listen attentively.

• Appreciate the mother if she is following the good practices of taking care of the newborn. If not, try to figure out the root of the problem.
• For example, the family thinks that it is important to bathe a child before giving “adhan” in baby’s ear OR that a child needs to be cleaned as soon as possible.

• Practice with the mother about talking to her husband/family about the importance of delayed bathing.
• For example, talking to the mother-in-law about how early bathing can cause hypothermia, or that the whitish covering on the baby is a natural protective layer for the child and keeps her/him safe.

• Baby can become cold very quickly which is dangerous for his/her life. Keep baby warm by:
  • Ensuring that the mother and her baby have skin-to--skin contact.
  • Keeping the baby warm by covering him/her with warm clothes.
  • Ensure that the baby is bathed after 24 hours of birth.
  • The umbilical cord should be cut with a clean blade and should be kept clean.
  • The baby should be breastfed within the first hour.
  • The mother should often look at the baby and smile at the baby and talk to him/her for stimulation.