Birth and the Newborn

Hormonal Triggers (Birth)

The release of oxytocin, which initiates uterine contractions during birth.

Oxytocin

A hormone whose high concentration triggers uterine contractions, initiating labor.

Firstborn Labor Duration

Typically lasts from 16 to 24 hours.

Lamaze Method

A birthing method focusing on breathing techniques to help cope with painful contractions.

Bradley Method

A birthing philosophy that advocates for birth without medication or medical intervention, with the spouse/partner acting as the main birthing assistant.

Hypnobirthing

A birthing method utilizing self-hypnosis for relaxed concentration during labor.

Water Birthing

The practice of giving birth in warm water, based on the belief that warmth and buoyancy soothe the birthing process.

Obstetricians (OBs)

Medical doctors trained to manage high-risk pregnancies and perform surgical procedures like cesarean sections.

Family Physician

A medical doctor who may provide maternity care and attend births, typically managing low-risk pregnancies and transferring higher-risk cases to OB/GYNs.

Midwives

Healthcare professionals who provide prenatal care, attend births, and offer postpartum support, focusing on supportive, low-intervention birth experiences.

Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)

A registered nurse with advanced training and certification in midwifery.

Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)

A non-nurse trained in midwifery through direct-entry programs, combining education and hands-on clinical experience.

Lay Midwife

An individual often self-taught or trained via apprenticeship in midwifery, who may lack formal certification or licensing.

Birth Doula

A trained professional who provides emotional, physical, and informational support during labor and delivery.

Postpartum Doula

A professional who supports the family after birth, offering assistance with newborn care, breastfeeding, and emotional well-being.

Apgar Scale

A quick measurement system used to assess the health of newborns.

Appearance

One of the five components of the Apgar Scale, assessing the newborn's skin color.

Pulse

One of the five components of the Apgar Scale, assessing the newborn's heart rate.

Grimace

One of the five components of the Apgar Scale, assessing the newborn's reflex irritability.

Activity

One of the five components of the Apgar Scale, assessing the newborn's muscle tone and movement.

Respiration

One of the five components of the Apgar Scale, assessing the newborn's breathing effort.

Skin-to-Skin Contact

Immediate physical contact between a newborn and parent after birth, supporting temperature regulation, breastfeeding, stress reduction, and bonding.

NICU Infant Stress Reduction

A significant outcome observed with 1 hour of skin-to-skin contact, showing a decrease in stress levels for infants in the NICU.

Post-Delivery Hospital Stay Mandate

Congress mandates {48 hours} of insurance coverage for a hospital stay post-delivery.

High-Risk Group (Infants)

Infants under 3.3lbs with a gestational age less than 30weeks, with approximately half of these newborns dying.

Viability Age

The approximate gestational age at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, currently around 22weeks.

Vulnerabilities of Preterm Infants

Increased susceptibility to infection and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) due to gestational age and low birthweight.

Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS)

A condition preterm infants are vulnerable to, characterized by difficulty breathing.

Naturalistic Fallacy

The idea that what is natural is automatically good or bad, or that natural things are inherently good and unnatural things are inherently bad, or vice versa.

Infant Mortality Rates

Statistics that have drastically decreased from the 1800s to 2020.

Vitamin K Levels at Birth

Babies are born with low levels of Vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting.

Blood Clotting

An essential biological process for which Vitamin K is necessary.

Single Dose of Vitamin K

A preventive intervention given soon after birth to newborns.

Risks Without Vitamin K Shot

Approximately 1/6 of newborns who do not receive the injection will experience bleeding due to low Vitamin K.

Standard Preventive Treatment

A term describing the Vitamin K Shot, indicating its routine application to prevent complications.

Hepatitis B

A serious viral infection that can lead to chronic liver disease, liver cancer, and cirrhosis.

Hepatitis B Vaccine

A vaccine typically given within the first 24 hours of birth to protect against Hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B Immune Globulin (HBIG)

An injection that may be given along with the Hepatitis B vaccine if the mother is infected with Hepatitis B.

Tuberculosis (TB)

A serious infectious disease protected against by the BCG vaccine.

BCG Vaccine (Tuberculosis)

One of the oldest and most widely used vaccines, given in the first few days after birth to protect against tuberculosis, especially in high-prevalence countries.

Blood Glucose Test (Newborn)

A screening test for at-risk babies to check for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar)

A condition checked for in at-risk babies using a Blood Glucose Test.

Heel-Stick Blood Sample

A standard newborn screening method to detect conditions such as PKU, hypothyroidism, and sickle cell disease.

Thalidomide Tragedy (1950s–1960s)

A historical event where a drug marketed for nausea/insomnia in pregnancy caused severe birth defects worldwide, including thousands of malformed limbs.

Forced Sterilizations of Women (1900s–1970s)

An unethical historical practice in many countries, including the U.S., where marginalized women were sterilized without their knowledge or consent.

Forced Cesarean Section Scandal (1980s–2000s)

An unethical historical practice where some hospitals performed cesareans without medical necessity or against mothers’ will, sometimes for convenience or policy reasons.

Postpartum Depression (PPD)

A mood disorder affecting 10% of all new mothers, potentially triggered by hormonal influx after birth.

Potential Trigger for PPD

Hormonal influx after birth, which can lead to detachment and withdrawal of emotion.

Break from Reality (PPD)

A severe outcome in about 1 in 500 cases of PPD, where the mother may experience psychosis.

Talk Therapies for PPD

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)

CBT (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy)

A type of talk therapy used for treating Postpartum Depression

IPT (Interpersonal Therapy)

A type of talk therapy used for treating Postpartum Depression.

Medication for PPD

SSRIs or occasionally hormonal treatments

SSRIs

A type of medication (antidepressants) used for treating Postpartum Depression.

Supportive Measures for PPD

Includes sleep and nutrition aids to help manage Postpartum Depression.

Social Support for PPD

The important involvement of partners and family in treating Postpartum Depression.

Proximal Caregiving (Baby Wearing)

A caregiving style that increases parental responsiveness, heightens mothers’ perception of subtle cues, and strengthens the parent-infant bond.

Distal Caregiving

The opposite approach to proximal caregiving, implying less close physical contact.

Newborn Reflexes

Unlearned, involuntary responses that occur automatically in response to certain stimuli, such as sucking, swallowing, blinking, and coughing.

Newborn Vision

Not fully developed at birth, but infants can distinguish brightness, color, and size.

Newborn Auditory Competence

Infants respond to sudden and familiar sounds and can recognize their mother’s voice and the prosody of their native language from the womb.

Newborn Taste and Smell

These sensory abilities are well developed at birth.

Habituation in Infants

When infants show interest in a stimulus, their heart rate spikes and then lowers; they look longer at things they like but show less looking as the stimulus becomes less novel over time.

Heart Rate Changes During Habituation

An infant's heart rate spikes when interested in a stimulus and then lowers as they habituate.

Methods to Measure Infant Attention

Include heart rate monitoring, looking time measured via eye tracking or head turning, and high amplitude sucking.

Heart Rate Monitoring (Infant Attention)

A method used to define phases of attention in infants.

Looking Time (Infant Attention)

A method to measure infant attention, typically via eye tracking or head turning.

High Amplitude Sucking

A method used to measure infant attention or preference.

Newborn Visual Processing Pathways

Involve subcortical regions like the superior colliculus for eye movements, and early pathways including the LGN (lateral geniculate nucleus) and V1 (primary visual cortex).

Superior Colliculus

A subcortical region involved in newborn visual processing, supporting eye movements.

LGN (Lateral Geniculate Nucleus)

An early pathway involved in newborn visual processing.

V1 (Primary Visual Cortex)

An early pathway involved in newborn visual processing.

Subcortical Structures at 1 Month

Brain areas (e.g., substantia nigra; basal ganglia) that support motor control and fixation behaviors at 1 month of age.

Global Features Tracking (Newborns)

A behavior indicating early visual processing patterns in newborns.

Sticky Fixation (Obligatory Attention)

A visual behavior noted by 1 month of age in infants, where attention is held firmly on a stimulus.

Brain Areas and Behaviors at 1 Month

Involves subcortical structures (e.g., substantia nigra; basal ganglia) tied to motor control and sticky fixation, leading to obligatory attention and early visual processing patterns consistent with rapid development of coordinated tracking.