From the Guidelines
Babies require constant care and attention, including feeding every 2-3 hours, regular diaper changes, adequate sleep, and close monitoring for developmental milestones, as outlined in the 2024 American Heart Association and American Red Cross guidelines for first aid 1. When caring for a baby, it is essential to consider their age group and specific needs.
- Neonates (<30 days of age) and infants (between 30 days and 1 year of age) require gentle and specialized care, with attention to their small size and fragility 1.
- Techniques such as infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) require specific knowledge and handling 1. For healthy development, babies need physical contact, verbal interaction, and age-appropriate stimulation.
- They progress through predictable developmental stages, including lifting their head (1-2 months), rolling over (4-6 months), sitting unassisted (6-8 months), and potentially crawling and standing (9-12 months) 1. Babies communicate primarily through crying, which can indicate hunger, discomfort, tiredness, or desire for attention.
- Regular pediatric check-ups are essential to monitor growth, administer vaccinations, and address any health concerns, as recommended in the 2024 technical report on phototherapy to prevent severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in the newborn infant 35 or more weeks of gestation 1. The first year of life is characterized by rapid physical and neurological development as babies form attachments to caregivers and begin to explore their environment.
- It is crucial to ensure adequate hydration and temperature control during phototherapy, as outlined in the technical report on phototherapy to prevent severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in the newborn infant 35 or more weeks of gestation 1.
From the Research
Baby Care and Vaccination
- The US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that infants receive several vaccines directed against various infectious diseases, including hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, pneumococcus, rotavirus, poliovirus, and Haemophilus influenzae type b, starting at birth 2.
- Breastfeeding can help mothers and infants cope with stressful situations during vaccinations, improve response to vaccines, and influence physiologic parameters that change metabolism of ethylmercury derived from some vaccines 3.
- Breastfeeding during painful procedures, such as vaccinations, can reduce pain in infants beyond the neonatal period, with a 38-second reduction in cry time and a 1.7-point reduction in standardized pain scores 4.
Pain Management during Vaccination
- Hospital-based postnatal parent education about pain management during infant vaccination can increase parental use of pain interventions, such as breastfeeding, sucrose, and topical anesthetics 5.
- Implementing a clinical protocol that uses breastfeeding as a pain-relieving strategy during vaccination can be effective in reducing infant pain, with 53% of breastfed infants being breastfed during vaccination 6.
- Lap holding is also an effective strategy to reduce injection pain during vaccination, with 234 infants being placed on the parent/caregiver's lap during vaccination 6.