In this position paper-one of six care practice papers published by Lamaze International and reprinted here with permission-the value of keeping mothers and their babies together from the moment of birth is discussed and presented as an evidenced-based practice that helps promote, protect, and support normal birth. The paper is written for childbearing women and their families. Babies held skin...

OBJECTIVE To analyze the teaching of neonatal resuscitation offered by Brazilian public hospitals to undergraduate doctors and nurses, pediatric residents and neonatal fellows. METHODS This cross-sectional multicenter study included 36 hospitals in 20 Brazilian State capitals during June/2003. Local coordinators collected data regarding what the institutions offer to undergraduate doctors and...

Current medical reimbursement realities may limit the time an anesthesiologist can spend assessing complicated patients preoperatively. Third-party payers increasingly demand admission of sick patients for complex operative procedures on the day of surgery. These patients are often evaluated and counseled in outpatient preanesthesia consultation clinics several days before surgery by busy, semi...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The incidence and associated costs of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) have recently risen sharply; newborns with NAS occupy 4% of NICU beds. We implemented a coordinated program for NAS including standardized protocols for scoring, medications and weaning, and a calm rooming-in environment, to improve family-centered care and to decrease both length of stay (LOS) and...

BACKGROUND Emergency department (ED) delays have multiple causes and create frustration for patients and staff alike. METHODS New adult psychiatric ED consultations were studied. Elapsed time between workflow stages was tested as a predictor of total time from triage to disposition. To expedite interviews a one-page form was provided for interested patients to complete before psychiatric eval...

Background Bacterial colonization during and shortly after birth are common in newborn infants. The aim of this study was to determine the umbilical cord bacterial colonization in newborn infants rooming in with mothers and neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Materials and Methods In a cross-sectional study, 180 newborn infants were studied in three groups including: newbo...