Immediate care of your baby

At birth your baby will be placed skin-to-skin on your chest or abdomen. Skin-to-skin contact will help your baby regulate their heart rate, breathing and blood sugar. Skin-to-skin cuddling will also help with bonding and breastfeeding initiation.

After birth, your baby will receive:

Erythromycin antibiotic ointment in their eyes.
An injection of vitamin k in their thigh to help with blood clotting
An examination to check breathing, heart rate, muscle tone, reflexes (apgar score) and temperature. Your baby will also be weighed and measured.
Matching identification bands are put on you and your baby for security reasons

The Apgar Score

The Apgar Score was created by Dr. Virginia Apgar, and her name can be used as an acronym for the test categories:

A = appearance (skin tone)
P = pulse (heart rate)
G = grimace (reflex reaction to nose/mouth suctioning)
A = activity level (muscle tone)
R = respiration (breathing)

Each category is worth a possible 2 points. This is just an observational wellness test your nurse or other healthcare provider gives baby at 1 minute and 5 minutes after his or her birth. If the healthcare provider is worried about baby’s Apgar Score, then the paediatric team may be called. This test does not screen for any health issues, it is just a tool used to measure baby’s wellness and/or need for more specialized care. (Note: 9/10 is usually considered a perfect Apgar Score because most newborns have bluish hands and feet still, by 5 minutes after they are born.)

During your hospital stay, you will be encouraged to keep your baby with you all the time (rooming in) and to be skin-to-skin with your baby when you are awake. Your nurse will guide you as you care for your baby.

Newborn Screening Programs

Newborn Metabolic Screening Program

When your baby is 24–72 hours old, you’ll be offered blood spot screening for your baby. A few drops of blood are collected from a heel poke to test if your baby is at risk of having certain treatable conditions. The screening is quick, safe and the best way to tell if your baby has a treatable condition that you or your health care provider might not know about. Treating these conditions early can prevent health problems, improve your baby’s health, and maybe even save your baby’s life. The screening may be done in the birth centre, at a home visit, at a clinic visit, or a lab in your community. To learn more about newborn blood spot screen, visit Alberta Health Services – Newborn Metabolic Screening Program.

Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program

As early as 15 – 22 hours of age, your baby can have their hearing tested to screen for hearing loss. Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions found in newborns. Having your baby’s hearing screened soon after they’re born is the best way to find hearing loss early and get the support needed to help your baby build speech, language and learning skills. The screening is quick, safe and effective. It’s usually offered in hospital before the baby is discharged, but is also available at community-based sites when screening in the hospital is not available. Visit AHS.ca/ehdi to learn more and to watch a video about newborn hearing screening.