FIGOgood practice recommendations: Bundle of care to reduce neonatal mortality and improve outcomes after preterm and term delivery

Abstract

AbstractAn integrated approach is lacking for the management of childbirth and newborn care, even though their codependence is critical for improving maternal and newborn outcomes. FIGO's Prep‐for‐Labor rapid triage methods for women arriving at a clinical facility are addressed in earlier papers in this Supplement, but do not include newborn care. Immediate postpartum rapid triage using established Apgar score helps determine whether standard of care can be followed on site with available staff/tools. If not, newborn transfer alone or with the mother to a higher‐level center as soon as feasible may be required. Updated newborn management tools with special emphasis on pragmatic steps that are applicable for any clinical setting including low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) are presented in this article. Given that more than 80% of newborn care can be managed at the birthing facility, transfer to a higher‐level center for care is required only in selected cases. Management steps for healthy newborns are described and the actions needed for those requiring resuscitation are summarized. The simple noninvasive kangaroo mother care approach—universally applicable for both term and preterm newborns—is associated with a significant reduction in morbidity and mortality. Kangaroo mother care involves continuous maternal skin‐to skin contact from birth, exclusive breastfeeding, and home support after discharge. Hence, hypothermia, hypoglycemia, and acquired infections are frequently prevented. It is anticipated that implementing simple noninvasive management steps will have a substantial positive impact on improving maternal and newborn outcomes.