For your baby’s health, your newborn will receive several tests and vaccinations following birth. In the newborn screening test procedure, the babies are screened, even if they look healthy, to check for potentially serious conditions, some of which can be life-threatening. Discovering these conditions soon after birth can help save a baby’s life or help prevent serious problems, such as brain damage. In this guide, get to know what tests and vaccines are done in newborns to ensure their healthy health after their birth:
Important Tests for Your Baby after Birth for Their Healthy Future
Checking baby’s heartbeat with a stethoscope
Checking the baby’s heartbeat helps doctors to monitor the newborn heart rate, rhythm, and strength, which are important indicators of the baby’s cardiovascular health.
Newborn Screening Test
This is a blood test to check newborns for a number of metabolic abnormalities, including phenylketonuria (PKU), hypothyroidism, and cystic fibrosis. This test is administered through a tiny heel prick. The blood sample is sent to a newborn screening lab for testing.
Newborn Hearing Test
The newborns must undergo a hearing test that checks the brain’s response to sound. For this test, a sensor is placed on your baby’s head to monitor brain wave activity while he or she listens to a series of soft tones through headphones. This quick and painless test can be done while your baby sleeps.
Pulse Oximetry
This safe and painless test helps to detect certain types of congenital heart disease that might otherwise not be discovered before leaving the hospital. Early detection improves treatment results and can prevent death. The test can also reveal other treatable conditions, such as pneumonia. The test measures the oxygen level in your baby’s blood using a sensor that is gently wrapped around the hand and foot for a few minutes.
Bilirubin Check
Bilirubin is a by-product of the recycling of red blood cells that is excreted by the liver into the bile and leaves the body via the stool. It normally takes newborns a few days to activate the liver mechanisms that allow for efficient bilirubin excretion. If bilirubin levels get too high, babies will develop a yellow-orange skin color known as jaundice.
This is common and does not cause any problems in most babies. In some babies, however, the bilirubin can rise to extremely high levels and cause permanent brain injury. The bilirubin check, which uses blood from the same heel prick performed for the Newborn Screening Test, helps detect babies who are at risk of developing dangerously high bilirubin levels.
Vaccines for Baby and Mother
Infants are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases. Ensuring you and your baby are immunized against disease is an important way to protect your newborn’s health. The babies and their mothers must be administered several vaccines to protect them against disease.
Vaccines for Baby
Hepatitis B Vaccine (HepB)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise that all infants receive a Hepatitis B vaccine before leaving the hospital. Full immunity isn’t achieved until babies have received additional booster shots. Starting the series at birth means the baby achieves full immunity sooner and provides an extra margin of safety for the baby.
Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin (HBIG)
This vaccine is given only to babies born to mothers who are carriers of Hepatitis B, that is, who test positive for the Hepatitis B surface antigen. HBIG and the HepB vaccine will be administered within 12 hours of birth for these babies. This combination is highly effective in preventing transmission of Hepatitis B from mother to baby.
Vaccines for Mother To Be
Tdap Vaccine
This single vaccination protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is sometimes deadly in babies. Because infants don’t begin to receive this vaccine until they are two months old, Tdap is offered to mothers any time after their second trimester or as soon as possible after delivery to help protect them from catching and transmitting pertussis to their babies.
Flu Vaccine
Women in their second and third trimesters of pregnancy are at increased risk for hospitalization from influenza. Routine influenza vaccination is suggested for all women who are or will be pregnant during flu season, which usually runs between early October and late March. Mothers who did not receive this vaccine during prenatal care should receive it before leaving the hospital to protect themselves and reduce the risk of spreading it to their babies.
Pneumococcal Vaccine
This vaccine can provide long-lasting immunity to Streptococcus pneumonia, a type of bacteria that can cause severe infections of the lungs, blood, or brain lining. Because administration during pregnancy has not been studied, in many cases, it is administered to women with asthma, diabetes, and immune disorders after delivery.
Why is Newborn Screening Important, Just Like Vaccines?
It is vital to note that newborn screening and vaccinations serve different purposes but are both essential for providing the health and well-being of infants. Vaccines protect primarily against infectious diseases, whereas newborn screening focuses on early detection of specific genetic, metabolic, and congenital disorders. Both practices contribute to protecting the health of infants and promoting their healthy futures.
Why do a #EkSahiShuruat for Your Newborn?
#EkSahiShuruat movement aims to transform the landscape of newborn health by advocating for early screening programs like NewBorn Screening. The objective of newborn screening is to detect conditions early on, frequently before symptoms are evident. This early detection permits timely intervention and treatment, thereby preventing or minimizing the development of serious health issues. In many instances, early intervention can significantly improve the long-term health of infants.
Trivitron Healthcare, a pioneering medical technology company, spearheads this movement. # EkSahiShuruat focuses on implementing comprehensive newborn screening initiatives and raising awareness about their significance.