Before the district pediatrician begins to take care of the baby’s health, the newborn falls into the careful hands of a specialist called a “neonatologist”. Who is he and what is his job?
This is a doctor who creates the most favorable conditions for the birth and growth of infants. Usually control lasts the first 28 days of the life of a little man. This month is the time of great risks for the baby. In the first moments of the birth of a baby, the state of the baby is evaluated on
the Apgar scale. Five key criteria let the doctor know if the child needs immediate help. If the baby was born healthy, the doctor carefully monitors the features of its development and growth, helps the tiny creature adapt to a new reality for him. Well, if competent medical support is needed, it is even better if there is a neonatologist nearby. Who can do this better than him?
Newborn science
The word "neonatology" has arisen from two multilingual roots: Greek νέος (new) and Latin natus (birth). As an independent direction in obstetrics and gynecology, this medical science stood out at the beginning of the last century. The term was coined by the American physician A. Schaffer. The focus of attention of neonatologists was primarily the pathological conditions of infants. Babies born with low birth weight, premature birth, with delays and developmental defects, with respiratory distress and congenital infectious diseases - this is what a neonatologist is vital for. Who is this in a situation where you need to pull the child out of the next world? Only the special knowledge and skills of such a specialist give the baby the opportunity not only to survive, but also to catch up with the development of peers.
The knowledge and responsibility of micro-pediatricians (as they are sometimes called), as well as modern hardware for nursing infants, made it possible that today, as the main neonatologist of Russia Dmitry Ivanov assured the public, 80 percent of premature babies born with too little weight survive. The uniqueness of the work of a neonatologist lies in the fact that he has to work solely on the indicators of tables and devices, rely on his professionalism and “sixth sense”, because a newborn child cannot show where and what hurts him.
The first doctor in the life of a baby
Pregnant women are also observed by a neonatologist. Who is this for women in labor? A professional who controls the intrauterine growth of the baby, because it is better to prevent possible complications at the very beginning. From the 28th week of fetal life in the maternal womb, medicine is able to prevent the development of endocrine, cardiovascular and its other ailments. A neonatologist does not accept childbirth, although he has obstetric skills, but he can tell you in a problematic moment the best way to give birth. The first application of the baby to the mother’s breast is also its prerogative. A specialist in this profile teaches the newly-born mother the right way to care for the baby, advises on nutrition, bathing, walking and more.
Until the stork arrives
Maternity hospitals are different. Some specialize in difficult labor, others do not even have resuscitation, focusing on the norm. But complications can happen with the most ordinary birth, promising to pass without problems. And here it is important that a neonatologist is nearby. When choosing a maternity hospital, it is best to ask in advance whether there is such a specialist in it.