When you are pregnant, you will probably assume the delivery will go smoothly and your newborn will be healthy. This is usually the case, but all expectant parents should understand that there are times when the fetus or newborns can have health problems and there’s nothing that can be done to prevent it in some cases.

Preparing for a Newborn with Health Problems

There is no way for parents to prepare themselves for birthing complication or a baby being born with a birth defect. However, you should understand some common problems that are experienced by newborns to be better prepared to deal with issues that do crop up.

Prenatal Tests

Your doctor may ask you to have certain prenatal tests if she suspects that something is amiss. The results of these tests will help her rule out birth defects such as cleft lip and spina bifida. There are some birth defects that can’t be identified until after your baby is born. This includes meconium aspiration, which occurs when your baby inhales his first bowel movement and amniotic fluid during his delivery.

Prenatal Birth Defects

When your doctor detects a birth defect as a result of prenatal testing, she will explain the procedures that will take place immediately after your baby’s birth. Ask if you, as parents, can tour the Intensive Care Unit to become better informed on the services available and to meet the health care professional team that will be caring for your newborn. The medical team will consist of neonatal nurses, possible a pediatric surgeon, a pediatric anesthesiologist and a neonatologist, as well as registered nurses. In certain circumstances, other health care professionals may be asked to assist in your baby’s care.

Newborn Problems

Many premature and full term newborns develop jaundice when they are a few days old. If your newborn is one of them, the whites of his eyes and his skin will turn yellow. This is because there is an excess of bilirubin in his blood. Babies who are perfectly healthy develop jaundice, so don’t panic. The condition develops when a newborn’s liver is premature and isn’t able to process the excess bilirubin.

Call your doctor immediately if your newborn develops jaundice. She will probably order a blood test that will measure the amount of excess bilirubin in his blood. This will help her decide if the jaundice requires treatment.

Treatment of Jaundice

The treatment for jaundice is usually very simple. Babies with jaundice should be exposed to a lot of sunlight. The ultra violet rays break down the bilirubin in order for it to be processed by the liver. Within a few days, your baby’s eyes and skin will have returned to their normal color.

Labor and Delivery

Today, most babies are born in the hospital where the mother stays in the labor room and is then moved to the delivery room for the birth of her child. Usually there are nurses and a midwife or doctor present to assist in the delivery and to give medical treatment if necessary.

Specific Conditions

If a newborn baby’s spine is exposed, which is a condition known as spina bifida, or if it has excess fluid around its brain (hydrocephalus,) it will be given special medical care. There are times in these instances where the baby has to be transferred to a specialized hospital. Babies that are born with an exposed bowel will have them covered to stop infection and to protect them from heat and the loss of fluids.

If your baby suffers from meconium aspiration, the delivering doctor, midwife or gynecologist will use suction to clear the baby’s airways. There are times that infants will need a breathing tube. If this occurs, a neonatologist will make certain your baby is kept warm and will monitor her heart rate and breathing. If the baby is in distress, the doctor can administer baby CPR. Then, when the baby’s condition has stabilized, he will be transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where he will be closely monitored.

Where’s Mom?

While all of this is going on, your will be in the company of the obstetrics team. They will assure that the afterbirth is properly expelled and that you receive stitches, if needed. Stay calm. There’s no need to panic. Both you and your baby are in good hands and the health care professionals will do their best to ensure that both you and your baby remain safe.

Parent/Doctor Communication

The team of health care professionals in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will make every effort to keep you posted on your newborn’s condition. Usually nurses, the doctor and the midwife will carry messages from the doctor’s to the parents and vice versa. If your baby’s condition was diagnosed after birth, your doctor should explain his condition to you and any treatment that will be given. If you are unsure, ask questions and insist that your fears are addressed.

Outside the Delivery Room

When your baby is taken out of the delivery room, she may need to be given antibiotics, other medications or fluids by an intravenous drip. She will be swaddled to prevent heat loss and if her breathing is labored or rapid, the doctor may order x-rays to find the cause. Blood tests and an oxygen monitor will help the doctor decide whether or not your baby will be put on a ventilator. When the breathing condition is stabilized, treatment for other problems can begin. Your doctor may continue to monitor your baby for a few days, weeks or even months, depending on the seriousness of her condition.

Often doctors will order blood tests on newborns to check the blood glucose levels and the white blood count. The blood will either be taken from his heel or from a vein in his arm. Blood glucose levels will tell your doctor if you baby was born with diabetes and the white blood count will let her know if your baby has an infection.

Parent’s Needs

It is important that you take care of yourself while your baby is under the care of his doctor. It will be difficult for you to be separated from him and this can cause anxiety, depression and stress. You may feel that you’re to blame for your baby’s health problems and you will feel a great sense of disappointment. Talk to your baby’s medical team, your family doctor, a social worker or a psychologist to help you cope through this difficult time. Seek as much information on your baby’s condition as possible.

Staying with Your Baby

You may be asked by the hospital to provide your baby’s basic needs on a twenty-four hour basis. Be prepared. Call in family members and friends to help, if necessary. You can’t do it all on your own. You need time to be with your spouse and the other siblings in the family if there are any.

Educate Yourself

Ask your doctor or your baby’s health care professional team where to obtain good, factual information on your baby’s condition. Use community resources and visit the public library. Some hospitals have a medical library that the public can access for information. Ask your baby’s doctor if the hospital in your community offers this service.

It’s important that you become educated on your baby’s condition, the care you will have to provide for him and the prognosis.