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Kimberly: Dr. Moira Richards talking about protecting newborns from infections.
really the best way to do this
is to begin with pregnancy. What can you tell us?
Dr. Richards: Right, there are three significant times that moms can prevent infection and
the first is getting good prenatal care
there are is a common bacteria called group b_ strep
that twenty five percent of all women carry that is normal for the women, but
kids that can be severely
affecting their breathing and sometimes can cause baby death
so you should be screen for that before
delivery because there is appropriate treatment
during labor that can significantly decrease the risk of infection
Kimberly: And we are at the peak of what you tend to see lots of infections in newborns, in October or March
Yes, we are in the middle of RSV or Flu season
RSV is one of the a viruses that causes the common cold in most adults. Maybe that one lasts a
little longer than normal, a little more sneezing than normal
but the fluid that is produced in the lungs can sometimes obstruct the lungs of a newborn
baby
and even stop breathing
and can actually pass away from
problem too.
And so it can be passed by contact, just touching
you touch your face and then 20 minutes later you touch the baby and you can pass that
infection to the baby
so it's very important
to minimize contact especially with people who don't know when you've got a newborn baby at home.
Which leads me to my next question...What can new parents do? You said you tell
parents
to stay at home for the first two months of this babies life. Dr. Richards: That's right, well there are a couple of things you can do.
The first is breastfeeding
breastmilk is transmitting all of mom's antibodies and protection against
infection to the baby.
When people think breast milk and formula is the same, it's really not. You're actually giving your
baby
a treatment and a protection against infection when you're breastfeeding.
Secondly,
the antibacterial lotions and soaps that we use.
The Center for Disease Control or CDC recommends that we wash our hands and
face with soap and water.
Using antibacterial soap multiple times and it's not necessarily beneficial.
If we use it alot the bacterium can become resistant
so clean with soap and water and once in a while use the antibacterial lotion to sterilize.
Kimberly: So what about these antibacterial cleaners...they're not too harsh to use around a newborn?
Dr. Richards: No, they're not. Because they evaporate so quickly.
As long as you don't feel
the moistness on your skin,
it's essentially gone and you can go ahead and touch
Kimberly: Dr. Moira Richards at TMC's NICU, thank you.Dr Richards: You're welcome.