When babies are delivered in the hospital, there is a usual sequence of events that happen to ensure a safe and successful delivery. The mother goes into labor, healthcare professionals prepare themselves and the mother to deliver the baby and finally after minutes or hours of coaching and appropriate exercises the baby is born and introduced to their new environment. Before the parents can have any contact with the newborn, nurses will characteristically whisk the baby away to check for presence of important reflexes, abnormalities, and wipe away the birth materials such as vernix. After completion of these required tasks, the baby is then presented to the parents wrapped up like a shiny, new gift on Christmas day. Sometimes the baby and …show more content…
mother don’t make contact until ten or twenty minutes has passed. It can be overlooked but immediate skin to skin contact after birth can have a positive profound effect on an infant’s condition, stress or comfort levels, and pain. Per several studies, immediate contact after birth or in other scenarios highlights a plethora of benefits for infants. To begin with, it has been proven through numerous research articles that skin to skin contact is beneficial to infant’s health.
A procedure called “heel lancing” is when the physician takes a sample of blood from the infant’s heel and then is used to complete tests on the infant to check lab values and harmful conditions. (Vedder 2015) Heel lancing often causes pain to the baby and may increase the amount of time spent crying and raise the baby’s heart rate. Per Gray, Watt, and Blass (2000) a good way to soothe the child and provide comfort is skin to skin contact. In this study, it was noted that skin to skin contact reduced time spent crying, grimacing, and heart rate. (Gray, L., Watt, L., & Blass, E. 2000) What I found to be the most important in this study is the length of time the infants who received skin to skin contact cried and their heart rates, compared to infants who did not. Infants held by their mother in skin to skin contact cried and grimaced for an average of one to two seconds. (Gray, L., Watt, L & Blass, E., 2000) The infants who did not receive the skin to skin contact cried on average for thirty-two seconds. (Gray, L., Watt, L & Blass, E., 2000) This data helps to illustrate how important the skin to skin contact is and how strongly in influences the newborn’s wellbeing and
comfort. Furthermore, it has been shown that skin to skin contact after cesarean section helps relax the infant and increases their comfort levels. Because it is often traumatizing and is a very invasive procedure, cesarean sections can cause pain and discomfort to the mother and neonate. Therefore, skin to skin contact leads to a stronger emotional connection, increased safety, and comfort between neonate and mother. Amid cesarean closure, the skin to skin contact experience felt natural for most of the mothers and provided strong bonding experiences for both parties. (Frederick et. al 2016) More striking are the benefits for the infant which were noted in the physiological and biological changes such as temperature, heart rate, sleep-wake cycles, reduction of pain, and oxytocin release. (Frederick et.al, 2016) Moreover, skin to skin contact is found to be beneficial in diverse cultures as well. In the study of multicultural perspectives on birth fluids and immediate skin to skin contact, mothers of three separate cultures could enjoy skin to skin contact with their babies and found it beneficial despite the child still being covered in birth fluids but outside of context of birthing procedures, Asian women found these same fluids to be dirty and polluting. (Finigan, V., Long, T. 2014 ) Another mother from the same study stated that if the baby had been washed, the natural element of birth would have been lost. The baby regulates its inner world through aligning its state of mind with the caregiver. Largely through eye gaze, a conduit of empathic attunement is established. Per Stern, this conduit acts as an emotional umbilical cord that nurtures the child’s emotional development. Therefore, the baby’s relationship with his mother is crucial because it acts as a template for later emotional relationships. (Finigan, V., Long, T. 2014) In these articles, it is clearly proven that immediate skin to skin contact is shown as something that is beneficial to mothers and infants. Some of those benefits mentioned are pain relief, increased levels of comfort and several more. Parents should be encouraged to do this simple free activity more during the birth process in hospitals because it can drastically alter the baby’s health, emotional wellbeing, intelligence, and relationships with the parents. We are so accustomed to cleaning the baby and having it look perfect before making that initial contact. Everything that is on the child’s skin from birth is perfectly safe for both parties and is all a part of the natural aspects of birth. After noting the similarities of the messages in each article it is safe to conclude that immediate contact can positively affect the mother and child.
In 1976 Marshall H. Klaus and John H. Kennell came out with a book called “Parent Infant Bonding”. It discussed their hypothesis that like other animals, there is a brief moment directly following the birth of a child where skin-to-skin contact between mother and offspring creates a strong bond. Although this theory continues to be supported by many, some criticized the process of Klaus and Kennell’s studies. Some of these criticisms likely came from their definition of a “critical” time period after birth.
The very low birth weight are newborns that weigh less than 3.3 pounds (1,500 grams). Unfortunately, newborns that are under 3.3 pounds (1,500 grams) do not often survive, and the ones that do have delayed motor skills and cognitive development. The numbers decrease further to extremely low birth weight of 2.2 pounds (1,000 grams), where chance of life is very small. Low birth weight babies 1,500 grams – 2,500 grams (3.3 -5.5 pounds) have a good chance they will survive with proper care. Newborns that are small-for-date are placed in incubators that are sealed beds where temperature and air quality is regulated. The beds isolate the infants from pathogens and the environment. The babies need sensory stimulation to grow, so a recorded tape is played of the mothers soothing voice. Visual stimulation from video, and tactile stimulation helps foster physical and cognitive development in the baby. At five months while the fetus is in the womb ithas sensory capabilities, and can hear the mother’s heart beating, food digestion, speaking, and others speaking to her! The incubator stimulates this environment. There is great success with proper attention and care to the low birth weight babies, and. Many of the low birth weight babies are effects of parents that live in poverty, unable to access adequate medical care, and they experience stress due to an unhealthy family life.
In doing this project the literature drawn from is largely non-scholarly for the reason that I am prevailing upon the reader to think outside the box about birth. Most of the “scholarly” research that is available was written by doctors or nurses/nurse midwives who were trained in the medical model of birth. Since part of my premise is that the high rate of Cesarean sections is caused in part by viewing birth as a medical and therefore pathological event, and in part for its emergence as a capitalistic industry, it was then necessary to find literature written by people who have expertise in birthing though not from the traditional obstetrical/medical school approach.
Neonatal nursing is a field of nursing designed especially for both newborns and infants up to 28 days old. The term neonatal comes from neo, "new", and natal, "pertaining to birth or origin”. Neonatal nurses are a vital part of the neonatal care team. These are trained professionals who concentrate on ensuring that the newborn infants under their care are able to survive whatever potential life threatening event they encounter. They treat infants that are born with a variety of life threatening issues that include instances of prematurity, congenital birth defects, surgery related problems, cardiac malformations, severe burns, or acute infection. Neonatal care in hospitals was always done by the nursing staff but it did not officially become a specialized medical field until well into 1960s. This was due to the numerous advancements in both medical care training and related technology that allowed for the improved treatment and survival rate of premature babies. According to the March of Dimes, one of every thirteen babies born in the United States annually suffers from low birth weight. This is a leading cause in 65% of infant deaths. Therefore, nurses play a very important role in providing round the clock care for these infants, those born with birth defects or other life threatening illness. In addition, these nurses also tend to healthy babies while their mothers recover from the birthing process. Prior to the advent of this specialized nursing field at risk newborn infants were mostly cared for by obstetricians and midwives who had limited resources to help them survive (Meeks 3).
Mphahlele, R. R. (2007). Caring for premature babies - a clinical guide for nurses. Professional Nursing Today, 11(1), 40-46.
...o find a balance between interventional and non-interventional birth. With this being said, I also understand that there are strict policies and protocols set in place, which I must abide to as a healthcare provider, in any birth setting. Unfortunately, these guidelines can be abused. Christiane Northrup, MD, a well recognized and respected obstetrician-gynecologist has gone as far as to tell her own daughters that they should not give birth in a hospital setting, with the safest place being home (Block, 2007, p. xxiii). Although I am not entirely against hospital births, I am a firm believe that normal, healthy pregnancies should be fully permissible to all midwives. However, high-risk pregnancies and births must remain the responsibility of skilled obstetricians. My heart’s desire is to do what is ultimately in the best interest of the mother, and her unborn child.
Often frustrated parents or other persons responsible for a child’s care feel that shaking a baby is a harmless way to make a child stop crying. The number one reason why a baby is shaken is because of inconsolable crying. (National Exchange Club Foundation, 1998) An infant may spend two to three hours a day crying. (The Epilepsy Association of Central Florida) A caregiver momentarily gives in to the frustration of responding to a crying baby by shaking. Caregivers may be inadequately prepared for children.
The importance of skin-to-skin care for the childbearing family is that every newborn can benefit. Skin-to-skin is valuable because it promotes thermoregulation, cardio-respiratory stability, breast milk supply, and mother-infant bonding (Hugill, 2015; Baker-Rush, 2016; Gregson, 2011; Pigeon Turenne, Héon, Aita, Faessler, & Doddridge, 2016). The nurse’s role in skin-to-skin is to educate women and their families of its benefits. The nurse will be able to implement the carative factors of a teaching-learning experience with the parents, develop a helping-trusting relationship, as well as tend to basic human needs of the patients (Watson, 2008).
This study is a clinical trial that aims to find out the effect of massage on behavioral state of neonates with respiratory distress syndrome. The participants were 45 neonates who hospitalized in neonatal intensive care unit of Afzalipour hospital in Kerman. Parental consent was obtained for research participation. The inclusion criteria included all infants born with respiratory distress syndrome, less than 36 weeks gestational age and without of any the following conditions: contraindication of touch, skin problems, hyperbilirubinemia, anemia, respirators, chest tube, addicted mother, congenital and central nervous system disease. Infants entered the massage protocol during the second day after starting enteral feeding, because the initiation of enteral feeding means that the infants in physiologically stable [12]. The researcher determined if infants met the study criteria. After initial assessment, the infants were entered to the group. The infants received 45 minute periods of massage intervention per day for 5 days. Each infant received tactile/kinesthetic stimulation, 15 minute periods at the beginning of three consecutive hours. Each massage always started at approximately 30 minutes after afternoon feeding and provided by one or two trained nurses. The 15 minute stimulation sessions consist of 3 standardized 5 minute phases. Tactile stimulation was given during the first and third phases, and kinesthetic stimulation was given during the middle phase. For the tactile stimulation, the neonate was placed in a prone position. After thorough hand scrubbing, the person providing stimulation placed the palms of her warmed hands on the infant’s body through the isolate portholes. Then She gently stroked with her hands for five ...
( Criton, 2014.) Being a labor an delivery nurse(L&D) myself, and modesty being such an important facet within the Jewish Community, it would be safe to say, that cultural competence in Jewish birthing rituals would be a must when laboring a patient of this belief. My goal as a labor nurse, is to skillfully, attentively, and appropriately monitor, observe, and respect my patient and their unborn fetus at all times while under my care. Since the Jewish culture diligently tries to maintain complete modesty as a nurse, I would offer my Jewish labor patients a long sleeve gown and surgical hat to cover their head.
...e health care clinician to more comfortably assist in the delivery. However, it is important for nurse manager(s) on labor and delivery units to educate their floor nurses on the benefits of utilizing upright birthing positions during the second stage of labor and then to fully inform their patients on these positions, whether or not she had asked for information regarding upright birthing positions, and implement their use when possible. Careful evaluation of the change on the unit will provide the nurse manager(s) with appropriate feedback regarding the effectiveness of the change. All in all, upright delivery positions yield more optimal outcomes than supine delivery positions for both the mother and the baby and the nurses should be appropriately educated to give their patients an informed choice and advocate for and support the patient in her final decision.
There are more than 70% of premature babies that are born between 34 and 36 weeks gestation a year. When a baby is born early, or born with birth defects, the Neonatal Intensive Care unit is its first home. The nurse’s in the NICU have the difficult job of preparing baby’s and parents for a health life together. A baby who has been put into the NICU will stay there until it is healthy enough to go home.
A randomized controlled trial evaluating the effects of immediate skin to skin contact on primiparous women showed it was an easy, non-invasive and inexpensive method which increased breastfeeding self-efficacy and confidence (Aghdas, Talat, & Sepideh, 2014). Skin to skin contact immediately following birth reduces infant crying and increases the likelihood of successful breastfeeding. A Cochrane randomized controlled trial comparing early Skin to skin contact with usual hospital care demonstrated that babies breastfed more successfully during skin to skin contact immediately post-birth than if they were held swaddled in blankets, due to the extra tactile, odour, and thermal cues, provided by skin to skin contact (Moore, 2012). It is important that consideration be given to the significance of early skin to skin contact regardless of mode of birth. A literature review on the effects of skin to skin immediately following a Caesarean indicated an increase in breastfeeding initiation, a decrease in the time of the first breastfeed and reduced formula supplementation (Stevens, Schmied, Burns, & Dahlen, 2014). If separation between mother and baby is necessary post birth, the father can Initiate skin to skin contact to facilitate the development of the infant’s prefeeding behaviour in this vital period of the newborn infant’s life (Erlandsson, Dsilna, Fagerberg, &
way of symbolizing the baby’s arrival into the world, and how everything and everyone attention
This birthing plan is often documented in the patient’s medical record which aids the health care staff during the birthing event. Documentation and discussion of these events is often necessary to ensure all the needs of the family are met. Too often all the potential needs are not discussed and the opportunity to meet the needs of the new family is missed. These missed opportunities can result in emotional and religious conflicts within the family unit and toward the health care staff. For the nurse leader these missed opportunities in care could result in unfavorable patient satisfaction scores and reports within and outside the institution which necessitates follow up. The most important missed opportunity is how this affects the family unit itself. Depending on the missed opportunity the family unit may be affected for years based on questions not asked or decisions made with poor information. Some cultures must bury the placenta after birth and if this was not discussed and the placenta discarded the religious implications could be devastating for this family. Application of Henderson’s need theory guides the nurse in the educational plan for the patient-family unit to ensure all basic needs are covered and questions related to those needs are posed in advanced of the birthing