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NEWBORN CARE

Congratulations on making it through pregnancy!

Raising a newborn can often be difficult as well though. Various community resources are available and your family physician is often a wealth of knowledge too.

Baby's first appointment after leaving the hospital is generally recommended 24-48 hours after discharge. You can expect more frequent appointments with your physician in baby's first month as some babies can have challenges, such as weight gain and jaundice.



Jaundice

Jaundice is a very common problem, experienced by most babies. It presents as a yellowing of the eyes and skin due to an excess in the blood of bilirubin. Jaundice is of most concern when it is severe as this can lead to acute and chronic neurological problems. If addressed, the vast majority of jaundiced babies will recover without any complications. We routinely check babies around 1 day old for their bilirubin level; this is typically done at the hospital via a heel prick. Many babies require more than one check to ensure the condition is resolving adequately.



Vitamin K

Newborn babies are at risk for certain bleeding conditions.  The risk of bleeding can be significantly improved by the administration of vitamin K by needle (IM or intramuscularly) shortly after delivery.  Your hospital care team will always ask your consent for this medication.  It is strongly recommended.



Eye ointment

Your hospital care team will ask you some questions about past and current infections.  Based on this history, some babies will be offered antibiotic eye ointment to reduce the risk of infection.



Additional Resources:

CAR SEAT SAFETY CHECK BABY'S FIRST CAR SEAT CIRCUMCISION INFORMATION TIPS FOR NEW PARENTS CANADIAN PEDIATRIC SOCIETY
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