Safe care for newborns
Safe care for newborns doesn't depend only on advanced technology but on consistent routines, attentive families, and health systems that promote protective practices.
One of the most joyful and overwhelming experiences for any parent is to bring a newborn home. Between sleepless nights, feeding schedules, and figuring out what your baby needs, those first few weeks can feel like a whirlwind. But caring for a newborn doesn't have to be complicated. With simple steps, mindful habits combined with plenty of patience, you can make this journey smoother for both you and your little one. We got in touch with Dr Viswateja Chitturi, Lead Paediatric Intensivist at Apollo Hospitals, Visakhapatnam, to know some practical tips that will help you take care of your newborn with confidence and a lot of love.
Clean Hands:
According to the World Health Organization (WHO and UNICEF, proper hand hygiene could prevent more than 40 percent of neonatal sepsis cases. So, washing hands with soap before touching the baby is a simple safeguard.
Before teaching this to your child when he grows up, it is your job first to be infection-free. Dr Chitturi says infection is the leading cause of newborn mortality. "A newborn's immune system is not fully developed, which makes them especially vulnerable to pathogens carried on hands or surfaces," explains the paediatrician.
Safe Feeding Practices:
Feeding is an external care of a newborn, so safe practices provide both nutrition and protection. WHO and India's National Health Mission guidelines recommend only breastfeeding for the first six months. Dr Chitturi explains that breast milk reduces the risk of diarrhoea, pneumonia, and undernutrition.
Vaccination and Early Screening:
Needless to say that timely vaccination and early detection of a condition that may not be visible in a child is crucial. Some of the essential and primary vaccinations given to children under the Universal Immunisation Programme are BCG, OPV-0, and Hepatitis B within the first 24 hours. A report by NFHS-5 notes that at least 60 percent of regions fall behind for timely initiation. Dr Chitturi also points out that early screening for conditions such as congenital hypothyroidism or hearing impairment is still not a routine in many parts of the country. "There is evidence that early detection leads to better development outcomes. Families need to be educated about this," says the doctor.
Warmth and Thermal Protection:
Hypothermia is very frequent in newborns, but it is often an overlooked risk, including in tropical climates. Newborns are prone to losing heat through their skin, especially if they are underweight or premature. Dr Chitturi suggests maintaining skin-to-skin contact, which is also known as kangaroo mother care. He says it reduces hypothermia and improves survival. Several studies back that skin-to-skin touch can reduce the risk of newborn mortality by 40 percent, especially among low birth weight infants.
Safe Sleep and Home Environment:
Experts recommend placing babies on their backs to sleep on a firm surface and avoiding loose bedding. While bed-sharing is common in India as a cultural practice, Dr Chitturi says it can increase risks of infections when not managed safely. Sleep positions, adequate ventilation, and smoke-free environments can prevent risks. Some of the added reasons, he points out, are poor feeding, rapid breathing, or fever, which require immediate medical care.
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