1. Birth and the Newborn Baby
Chapter 5

2. Childbirth and Culture: How Birthing Has Changed
Home Deliveries
Midwives
Reducing the Risks of Childbirth
Antibiotics
Safe anesthesia
Improved hygiene
Drugs for inducing labor

3. Childbirth and Culture: How Birthing Has Changed
Contemporary Settings for Childbirth
Hospital
Home births with a trained nurse-midwife
Homelike birth centers
Rooming-in policies
“Demedicalizing” and “humanizing” the experience

4. The Birth Process Labor Parturition
Begins about two weeks before delivery
Uterine, cervical and other changes occur
False contractions (Braxton-Hicks)

5. The Birth Process Stages of Childbirth Dilation of the cervix
Lasts 12 to 14 hours
Descent and emergence of the baby
Lasts 1 to 2 hours
Expulsion of the placenta
Lasts 10 minutes to 1 hour

6. The Birth Process Electronic Fetal Monitoring
Tracks the fetus’s heartbeat during labor and delivery
Externally or internally
Telometry
Sends information remotely

7. The Birth Process Vaginal Versus Cesarean Delivery
Vaginal is the usual method
Reasons for Cesarean
Labor progresses too slowly
Fetus seems to be in trouble
Vaginal bleeding
Breech or transverse position of baby

8. The Birth Process Medicated Versus Nonmedicated Delivery
Natural childbirth
Lamaze method
Medicated
Local
Pedunal block
Analgesic
Regional
Epidural or spinal

9. The Newborn Baby
Adrenaline and Noradrenaline Are Produced by the Baby’s Body During Birth
Causes lungs to clear
Mobilizes stored fuel to nourish cells
Sends blood to the heart and brain
May promote bonding with the mother

10. The Newborn Baby Size and Appearance
Neonates in the U.S. average about 7 ½ pounds and 20 inches long
Large head ¼ the body length
Red skin
Birthmarks
Receding chin

11. The Newborn Baby Size and Appearance
Misshapen head (lasts about 1 week)
Soft spots (fontanels)
Lanugo
Vernix caseosa

12. The Newborn Baby Body Systems
Most babies begin breathing soon after they are exposed to air
If over 5 minutes →anoxia or hypoxia
Most other systems begin functioning 4 to 6 hours after delivery
Nourishment
Elimination of waste
Temperature regulation

13. The Newborn Baby Medical and Behavioral Assessment Apgar Scale
Appearance (color)
Pulse (heart rate)
Grimace (reflex irritability)
Activity (muscle tone)
Respiration (breathing)

14. The Newborn Baby States of Arousal and Activity Levels
State of arousal is inborn
Most new babies spend 75% of their time asleep
Alternates between quiet and active sleep
As the child grows into toddlerhood its sleep time decreases
Sleep schedules vary across cultures

15. States of Arousal

16. Complications of Childbirth- And Their Aftermath
Low Birth Weight
Usually from inadequate prenatal nutrition
Preterm (premature) infants → under 37 weeks of gestation
Small-for-date
12.5 percent of U.S. infants are preterm
8.1 percent have low birth weight (under 5 ½ pounds)

17. Complications of Childbirth- And Their Aftermath
Low Birth Weight
Factors concerning having a low-birth-weight baby
Demographic and socioeconomic factors
13.7 percent of African American babies have low birth weight
Medical factors predating the pregnancy
Prenatal behavioral and environmental factors
Medical conditions associated with the pregnancy

18. Complications of Childbirth- And Their Aftermath
Low Birth Weight
Immediate treatment and outcomes
Feeding intravenously
Place infant in an isolette
Administering surfactant

19. Complications of Childbirth- And Their Aftermath
Low Birth Weight
Long-term outcomes
Adult-onset diabetes
Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
In extremely low-birth-weight infants:
Neurological
Sensory
Cognitive
Educational
Behavioral

20. Complications of Childbirth- And Their Aftermath
Postmaturity
42+ weeks’ gestation
Tend to be long and thin
Complicates labor
Risk of brain damage or death
Induction of labor is common

21. Complications of Childbirth- And Their Aftermath
Stillbirth
Death of a fetus at or after the 20th week of gestation
Perinatal death
Death of a baby within 24 hours after childbirth
Women over 35 or under 20 have higher risk

22. Complications of Childbirth- And Their Aftermath
Can a Supportive Environment Overcome Effects of Birth Complications?
Infant Health and Development Program
Kauai Study
Protective factors

23. Newborns and Parents Childbirth and Bonding Mother-infant bond
Ethological approach
Evolutionary perspective
Imprinting
Konrad Lorenz

24. Newborns and Parents What Do Newborns Need From Their Mother?
Harry Harlow’s experiment
Comfort of close bodily comfort
Father’s Role
Differs by culture
Changed much since mothers began to work outside the home