Newborn resuscitation is generally performed when the baby has difficulty breathing on its own shortly after birth. This condition can be experienced by babies due to various things, ranging from suffering from certain conditions to difficulty adapting to the environment outside the womb.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is one of the most important medical treatment techniques in emergency situations, such as cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, and coma. This action aims to ensure blood circulation is maintained and sufficient oxygen needs in the body.
Resuscitation can be done to anyone who needs it, including newborns. At birth, babies enter a transition period to be able to breathe on their own. However, there are some conditions that cause the baby to have difficulty breathing and require resuscitation.
When is Newborn Resuscitation Needed?
Newborns will generally undergo several examinations by a doctor. The newborn examination includes a physical examination and an APGAR examination. The examination aims to determine whether the condition of the baby is healthy and fit.
If you appear unresponsive, limp, unresponsive, short of breath, or even not breathing, your newborn will usually need resuscitation. In addition, there are several other factors that may cause a newborn to require resuscitation, including:
- Babies whose condition is affected by pregnancy disorders, such as entangled umbilical cords and placental abruption
- Babies born prematurely, i.e. born before 37 weeks of gestation
- Baby born breech
- Twins
- Babies born with respiratory problems, for example due to meconium aspiration
Resuscitation Steps for Newborns
When a new baby is born, doctors and nurses or midwives will dry and wrap the baby's body, and keep his body temperature warm. After that, the doctor will observe and monitor the baby's condition. If needed, the doctor may give the baby oxygen.
During the observation, the doctor will check the baby's breathing, movement, level of consciousness, and changes in skin color. If from the monitoring results it is found that the baby's condition requires resuscitation, for example if the baby's APGAR value is low, the following actions will be taken:
- Giving stimulation or stimulation to provoke the baby to breathe on its own
- Giving artificial respiration through the baby's nose and mouth
- Compression or pressing the baby's chest consistently to stimulate the heart and improve the baby's blood circulation
- Giving medicines to help restore the baby's condition, if needed
If the newborn still cannot breathe spontaneously despite getting resuscitation, the doctor will intubate the baby to provide rescue breaths. After that, the baby needs to be treated in the NICU, especially if his condition is weak and unstable after resuscitation.
Doctors can also perform suctioning of liquid or meconium from the baby's mouth, especially in infants who are suspected of having trouble or stopping breathing due to choking or meconium asphyxia.
Newborn resuscitation is an important action taken by pediatricians or general practitioners to help newborns who have difficulty breathing. If you still have questions about newborn resuscitation, you can consult a doctor for further explanation.
