Parenting in 2024 The top 7 newborn care requirements that all parents should be aware of

In the year 2024, as you tenderly touch your newborn and treasure the developing moments, you might experience a brief pang of worry: "How will I handle this duty and how will I take care of my baby? Fear not—we have a pediatrician on staff to help you with the essentials of baby care and to ease your parenting anxieties around taking care of a newborn.Dr. Prakash Vaidya, Consultant in Pediatrics at Fortis Hospital in Mulund, made the following recommendations in an interview with HT Lifestyle:The first and most important thing that any mother should strive to provide for her newborn is breast milk. Babies that are exclusively breastfed are endowed with benefits that last a lifetime. I hear this theme much too frequently: "Doctor, I had a C-section, so I was unable to breastfeed my baby for the first few days." Getting the baby to latch onto the mother's breast as soon as possible is vitally important. In reality, bonding begins as soon as the baby is heard crying after a C-section delivery! These days, we do all in our power to allow the mother to hold her child, even attempting to nurse them on the operating table while the abdomeninitially-time mothers frequently experience feeding and latching issues at initially. However, these are fixable with time and the appropriate assistance. Mothers often begin spoon-feeding their babies top milk (formula) at first, but they quickly transition to bottle feeding.

This is a big no-no since the infant will reject the breast and get acclimated to being fed from a bottle soon after. Therefore, refrain from bottle feeding and, if possible, seek lactation consultant assistance as soon as possible.Every parent has to learn how to take care of their umbilical chord and keep it dry and clean. The best way is to clean the cord with spirit or something similar.The next crucial step is to perform screening tests to make sure your child is clear of conditions that could cause them to become handicapped in the future. The recommended course of action is to have these tests, which are widely accessible, ideally during the first week of life. Two of the most crucial screening tests that each newborn must have are an OAE test (hearing screen) and a TSH test (thyroid levels).Keeping the infant safe from diseases that can be avoided is another key. BCG, Hepatitis B, and OPV vaccinations must be given to all newborns during the first 24 hours of life; nevertheless, immunize them regardless of any delays.Another important thing to do is to avoid bad raising methods, even though these could be ingrained in societal ideas. These include giving the infant "ghuti," putting oil in their ears or noses, and so on.