Jowan, one of the Pinoybaby Store customers whom I had the pleasure of meeting at the Expo Mom Bazaar, sent me a really interesting article about the protocol for newborns.

According to the Inquirer article there is a movement to encourage in the Philippines the same protocol for newborn care that is done in many other countries: immediately drying the baby then initiating skin contact with the mother before clamping the umbilical cord, and initiating breastfeeding immediately after delivery. This protocol is already in practice in Quirino Memorial Medical Center, Fabella Memorial Medical Center, and Philippine General Hospital.

According to the article, the new protocol could cut by almost half the number of newborn deaths, now estimated at 40,000 each year. Immediately drying the baby prevents hypothermia; delaying the cord clamping two to three minutes after birth increases the baby’s iron reserves; and placing the baby on the mothers chest or abdomen provides warmth, increases the duration of breastfeeding, and allow “good bacteria” from the mother’s skin to pass onto the newborn.

You can read the full article here.

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