What a difference a few weeks can make in the life of a newborn

The difference between life as a newborn and life as an adult is quite significant.

It can be quite jarring to find out you’re going to have a baby, and it can be downright terrifying at the same time.

It’s no wonder, then, that some of us are hesitant to let our baby go to the hospital.

The fact is, newborns are often born with some pretty unique health issues. 

You’ll probably see them walking around with their hands and arms in the air, and some may even be struggling to breathe due to some sort of medical condition. 

They can also have a history of seizures and heart defects, so if they’re sick and not doing well, you may need to check on them.

But what about life as your newborn?

Is it really a bad idea to let your newborn go to hospital? 

Not exactly, according to research published in the journal Nature Medicine this week.

For one, the research suggests that newborns may benefit from hospital care a lot more than we might expect.

It found that a hospital admission can have a significant impact on a newborn’s life.

“It is likely that premature infants and neonates will be at increased risk for long-term adverse outcomes, especially in terms of the development of cardiovascular, pulmonary and neurologic deficits,” researchers said. 

“This may have implications for the long-range health and well-being of infants and their caregivers, and for the wellbeing of infants.”

The research team, led by Dr David Naylor of the University of Auckland, found that infants who were admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) had significantly higher rates of neonatal death and serious cardiovascular disease, compared to those who were not.

The study also found that hospital admission was associated with a higher risk of death in the neonatal period.

“Although there is some controversy about whether neonatal hospital admission increases risk of mortality or morbidity, the overall conclusion is that neonatal admission has a significant negative impact on neonatal health and outcomes,” the researchers wrote.

“Our results suggest that hospital discharge may be associated with increased mortality and morbidity in neonatal patients.”

In a statement, the NICU Society said the research “provides strong evidence that hospital admissions have significant adverse consequences for newborns”.

“The NICU is a highly vulnerable environment for newborn infants, with neonatal mortality rates in this cohort exceeding 80 per cent, and with the majority of newborns receiving no care at all,” the statement read.

“Nurses and neonatal staff are vulnerable to severe and prolonged hospitalisation in the NICUs.”

This is likely due to inadequate health care and the absence of supportive care.

“Topics:health,children,medical-research,birth-and-care,health-policy,health,nsw,australiaFirst posted February 16, 2020 10:08:54More stories from New Zealand