Newborn and Neonatal Care in Gurugram

The first visit after discharge

The first visit checks weight against birth weight, looks for jaundice, examines the baby fully including heart, hips, eyes and umbilicus, and reviews how feeding is going. Most early feeding difficulties are resolved with positioning and technique rather than by changing what the baby is fed.

Jaundice in the newborn

Mild jaundice in the first week is very common and often needs nothing more than observation and good feeding. It is assessed by how yellow the baby is, how old they are in hours, how they are feeding, and where necessary a blood level. Jaundice appearing on the first day, or deepening after the first week, is reviewed promptly.

When to call urgently

Call without waiting for the next appointment if a baby under three months has a fever, is feeding poorly or refusing feeds, is unusually sleepy or difficult to wake, is breathing fast or with effort, has fewer wet nappies than usual, or looks deeply yellow. In a newborn these signs are assessed the same day.

Normal newborn things that worry parents

A great deal of what alarms new parents is entirely normal, and knowing the list in advance saves a considerable amount of anxiety. Newborns sneeze frequently, hiccup often, and breathe irregularly in sleep, pausing for a few seconds and then speeding up. Their hands and feet may look bluish while the rest of them is pink. They startle with arms flung wide, cross their eyes intermittently in the early weeks, and make a surprising amount of grunting and snuffling noise.

Physically, milk spots on the nose, a blotchy rash that comes and goes across the body in the first week, peeling skin, swollen breast tissue in babies of either sex, and a small amount of vaginal discharge or bleeding in girls all reflect the mother's hormones and resolve on their own. Bluish-grey patches over the lower back and buttocks are common in Indian babies and are simply pigment. Stools change dramatically in the first week, from black and sticky to green to yellow and seedy, and a breastfed baby may pass a stool at every feed or go several days without one.

Umbilical cord care

The cord stump dries, darkens and separates on its own, usually between five days and two weeks. Keeping it clean and dry is all that is required, and the strongest advice is negative: do not apply anything to it. Oils, ash, turmeric, powders, cow dung and antiseptic preparations are all still used traditionally and all increase the risk of infection, which in a newborn can become serious quickly.

Fold the nappy down below the stump so it stays exposed to air, and let it come away by itself rather than pulling it, even when it is hanging by a thread. Some sticky discharge and a few spots of blood at separation are normal. Seek review the same day if the skin around the base becomes red and swollen, if there is pus or a foul smell, or if the baby develops a fever or becomes reluctant to feed.

Feeding in the first weeks

Newborns feed frequently, commonly eight to twelve times in twenty-four hours, and this is a reflection of small stomach capacity rather than insufficient milk. Clusters of feeding in the evening are normal and are not a sign that supply is failing. Feeding on demand rather than by the clock establishes supply more reliably.

The most useful reassurance comes from output rather than the feeling of fullness. From around day five, expect roughly six or more wet nappies a day, regular stools, steady weight gain after the initial dip, and a baby who is alert when awake. Positioning solves most early breastfeeding pain: the baby should take a large mouthful of breast rather than the nipple alone, and persistent pain or damage is a reason to have the latch watched rather than to endure it. Where formula is used, whether by choice or necessity, correct preparation matters: boiled water cooled appropriately, exact measurement without extra scoops, and discarding what is left after a feed.

Looking after the mother

The newborn visit is also a reasonable place to raise how the mother is doing, and it frequently goes unasked. Low mood, tearfulness and feeling overwhelmed in the first two weeks are extremely common and usually settle. What is not expected is low mood that persists beyond that, an inability to sleep even when the baby sleeps, loss of interest in the baby, intrusive frightening thoughts, or feeling unable to cope.

These are treatable, and treating them is directly in the baby's interest as well as the mother's. Raising it early is far better than waiting until it becomes severe. Practical help matters too: the expectation in many households that a new mother will resume normal duties quickly, entertain a stream of visitors, and manage on broken sleep is a substantial part of what makes the first weeks harder than they need to be.

Frequently asked questions