Circumstances requiring neonatal admission
Sometimes when a baby is born it has difficulty breathing and requires resuscitation from the midwives. If the baby doesn’t respond as expected to resuscitation, it might need to be transferred to the paediatric ward for further care, usually some IV fluids and oxygen.
If the baby is showing signs of infection, or the mother has a history putting the baby at risk of infection, then it will go to the paediatric ward for assessment and to start intravenous antibiotics, but may stay with its mother between treatments. Most babies will be under the care of the paediatric team for about 5 days to complete any course of antibiotics and make sure the baby is feeding well before going home.
Premature babies will also need to spend some time on the paediatric ward, depending on their weight at delivery. Monkey Ward is especially for those babies coming from maternity and we encourage mothers to do kangaroo care for their babies; where the baby is nursed against the mother’s or carer’s chest. Most babies born after 33 weeks do very well if they are kept warm, dry and fed frequently, exactly what kangaroo care offers.
Resuscitation and aftercare to babies with breathing difficulties
Treating newborns with infections with intravenous antibiotics
£4 covers a newborn admission to the paediatric ward for one day as well all drugs and equipment needed for treating the baby. £20 would cover a five day admission.
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