Training of Roma Health Mediators in Reproductive Health

Explain why newborns need a lot of care:
• Newborns (babies during the first month of life) need a lot of care in order to better
adapt to the external environment.
• Throughout the fetal stage, the baby lies inside the mother's womb, which is warm
and secure and performs important functions for the fetus: circulation, provision of
nutrients and passage of waste products through the mother's body.
• Immediately after birth, the newborn baby has to perform all these functions
independently. It breathes for the first time and gives a loud cry. Some babies have
difficulty breathing. The newborn’s body does not have the ability to regulate its body
temperature or to fight infections.
• The first 28 days of life are crucial for the baby. Most infants who die during this
period do so due to difficulty in breathing, hypothermia (lowered body temperature)
and infections. Low-birth weight babies are at a higher risk of dying and need more
specialized care.
Ask participants:
‣ What do you consider to be the basic needs of a newborn?
• To be kept warm
• To be fed
• To sleep
• To be clean
• To feel comfortable
• To be loved and safe
‣ How many of you have had children?
Hopefully, most of the participants have children.
‣ What did you do when your baby cried? What questions did you ask yourself?
• When did I feed him last?
• Should I check the diaper?
• Does he need to burp?
• Does he need to sleep?
• Is he cold/too warm?
• Is there too much noise/are there too many people around him?
Ask 2-3 volunteers to demonstrate the essential care of a newborn (how to maintain
hygiene, changing diapers, bathing, preparing for sleep). Use a baby doll and common
objects (towel, cotton swabs, soap, baby oil or cream etc.) for making the demonstration
as real as possible.
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RFHI/JSI Romania Training of RHMs in Reproductive Health Session 8: Newborn Care