(ANSA) – ROME, 03 OCTOBER – Sharing the same room between mother and baby immediately after birth, known as rooming-in, as well as skin-to-skin contact at the moment of birth is a good hospital care practice, “which goes offered actively and appropriately” health facilities of the Birth Path, providing practical and psychological support. This is indicated in the document “Wellbeing of the mother-child couple and safety of the newborn”, published on the ministry portal and the result of the work of a multidisciplinary technical table.
Hospital managements and healthcare personnel working in birth centers are recommended to provide parents with “clear and personalized information to be able to make informed choices on postnatal practices”.
In particular, rooming-in “must provide, within a sufficiently flexible organisation, alternative options for mother-child couples who are not eligible or for those couples for whom it is appropriate to interrupt it, even if only temporarily”. The healthcare staff must be “appropriately updated” and support the mother in care “gradually promoting maternal autonomy”.
Furthermore, it must “systematically verify the well-being of the mother-child couple managed under the rooming-in regime. The emotional distress of the woman, if significant, must be addressed with psychological counseling”.
The document then offers information material for parents with specific advice, starting from sharing the bed which “is a practical behaviour, especially for breastfeeding and interacting with the baby, but should be avoided when the mother is sleeping” because “the baby could get into a position where he cannot breathe or may fall out of bed.” Then be careful when using your smartphone. “Distraction in monitoring the newborn is facilitated by the improper or excessive use of devices, therefore they should not be used while breastfeeding. Remember to protect the baby from respiratory infections: “family members and friends with fever, cough or cold must refrain from visits and that the use of masks is recommended during seasonal epidemics or pandemics”. Finally, the recommendation: “if in some moments you feel that it might be preferable to interrupt rooming-in and entrust the child to healthcare professionals, don’t hesitate to ask for help”. (ANSA).
2024-10-07 23:39:07