Postnatal Initial Care of the Newborn at the Hospital
After delivery, your baby undergoes initial treatments by the medical team. They will be vaccinated and undergo screening tests, which are conducted to detect various conditions and provide appropriate treatment.
The first hour after delivery is called "the golden hour", and it got this name because skin-to-skin contact transfers friendly bacteria that significantly contribute to the newborn’s health. The newborn is ready to latch from the first moment; therefore, it is essential that you tell the medical team that you wish to have the skin-to-skin contact method (unless you are not capable of that or that your baby is unstable).
The skin-to-skin contact method is when the naked baby is placed on the bare skin of their mother, father, or another close person. This method has plenty of advantages, as it provides the newborn with a smoother and more relaxed transfer from fetal life to life outside the womb. It helps the newborn regulate their body temperature, their pulse and blood pressure, and even their blood sugar levels.
Through the mother's endorphin release, the skin-to-skin contact method enhances the mother's wellbeing and reduces pain. The joint stay triggers hormone secretion, further alleviating pain for both the mother and newborn. Studies have found that women who practiced skin-to-skin contact with their baby after a cesarean section reported lower pain levels than those who did not. Additionally, these women required fewer painkillers later on.
In the first and fifth minutes after birth, your baby will undergo the Apgar test to estimate their general condition.
What does the initial newborn care include
It is important to note
It is important to note
Before you leave the hospital, schedule an appointment at a Family Care Centers (Tipat Halav) for two days after your discharge. If Tipat Halav services in your area of residence are provided by the HMO, contact the HMO’s appointment scheduling center.
Recommended newborn care at the hospital, according to the Ministry of Health’s recommendations
Prevention of eye infections in newborns
During the process of labor, newborns are exposed to numerous bacteria that may cause eye infections. Some bacterial eye infections can result in severe eye damage, including blindness and significant morbidity.
The Ministry of Health’s instruction is to administer a one-time dose of erythromycin 0.5%. The treatment should be administered immediately after delivery, regardless of the delivery method (regular or cesarean section).
First vaccine administration against hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that affects the liver and can present as either an acute or severe illness. The active vaccine (a vaccine that causes body reactions and the stimulation of virus antigens) is administered after delivery and two additional doses later on, in Family Care Centers (Tipat Halav), at the ages of one month and six months.
If a birthing mother is a carrier or has hepatitis B, the baby will receive an inactive vaccine that offers rapid immune protection as it contains virus antigens. This vaccine is administered through injection after potential exposure to the virus.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is an essential component for proper blood clotting in the body and a building block for the production of blood clotting factors in the liver. When the baby is born, they come from a sterile environment (without bacteria), and they still lack the colon bacteria required to produce the vitamin. The major risk of vitamin K deficiency is a newborn hemorrhagic disease. The only way to prevent this disease is by administering vitamin K by intramuscular injection after delivery. In Israel, as in most countries in the world, the newborn is administered a 1 mg injection.
It is important to note: vitamin K is a simple therapy, and it has been saving lives for forty years throughout the world as well as in Israel.
Hearing screening test
Hearing loss is the most common sensory condition among newborns. It is essential to detect it as early as possible to help rehabilitate it successfully.
Studies have shown that the early detection of hearing loss in newborns is crucial for prompt rehabilitation and minimizing the impact of congenital hearing loss. Failure to rehabilitate hearing loss in time can result in significant deficits in language development as well as intellectual, emotional, and social development for the child.
It is important to note: half of all infants diagnosed with hearing loss did not have pre-identified risk factors for hearing loss.
All newborns born in hospitals or those arriving there shortly after birth, including newborns with risk factors of a hearing disability, must go through a screening test for detection and diagnosis of newborns with hearing disabilities, in order to allow treatment as early as possible. These exams are painless and do not cause any discomfort to the babies.
Read more on identification, diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss
Screening tests in newborns
Tests for early detection of endocrine, metabolic, and immunity disorders
Within 36 hours of birth and before hospital discharge, newborns undergo screening tests to detect relatively rare conditions that can lead to severe damage to organs, delayed cognitive development, and even death. These conditions often lack clear clinical symptoms in the infant’s early days and are diagnosed through a blood test.
For the test, four drops of blood are taken from the baby's heel and sent to the central laboratory of the Ministry of Health for testing. This service is provided without additional costs.
Important: check the results, and if any issues arise, contact your family doctor promptly. It is crucial to repeat the tests and initiate appropriate treatment as needed.
To check your baby’s test results, log in to the system for examining newborn screening test results and enter your personal details.
If you have any questions at any stage, whether before tests and vaccinations or after, on any issue, do not hesitate to ask the medical team.