Reducing Risks for Small and Sick Newborns in Hospital Settings
World Patient Safety Day 2025
Theme: 'Safe care for every newborn and every child'
Slogan: 'Patient Safety from the Start!'
Dr. Mohamud Eyow Ali, MBBS, MMed Pediatrics & Child Health, MPH (Health Education)
Definitions and Key Terms
Newborn (Infant): A baby less than 1 month of age (neonate ≤ 28 days old).
Sick Newborn: A newborn with any medical or surgical condition requiring care.
Small Newborn: A newborn weighing < 2,500 g at birth, including both preterm and low-birthweight
babies.
Protocol A set of rules/procedures to be followed when giving medical treatment.
Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is a method of care for preterm and low-birthweight newborns involving
skin-to-skin contact with the mother or caregiver, promoting warmth, breastfeeding, and bonding.
Standard A general statement of what is expected to be provided to ensure highquality care for
newborns.
Evidence-Based Care for All
Newborns
• Infection prevention & outbreak measures
• Immediate assessment at birth
• Identification of at-risk newborns
• Timely resuscitation when needed
• Routine postnatal care: weight, temperature, immunization, vitamin K
• Protection from harmful practices & family separation
• Screening: congenital abnormalities, maltreatment, syphilis, HIV, TB, metabolic issues
• Rational use of antibiotics
Care for Respiratory Conditions
• Pulse oximetry for early detection
• Safe oxygen therapy (21–30% O₂ for preterm ≤32 weeks)
• Apnoea prevention & management
• CPAP for respiratory distress
• Surfactant therapy within 2 hours (preterm)
• BPD risk assessment & management
Nutritional Support for Small &
Sick Newborns
• Mother’s milk: preferred, assisted feeding encouraged
• Parenteral nutrition when enteral contraindicated
• HIV-exposed infants fed per WHO guidelines
• VLBW infants: Vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus & iron supplements
Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC)
Components:
Skin-to-skin contact: Baby placed upright on mother’s chest.
Exclusive breastfeeding: Encourages frequent feeding on demand.
Early discharge with follow-up: Baby and mother monitored at home.
Benefits:
Maintains body temperature and reduces hypothermia.
Improves weight gain and growth.
Reduces risk of infections and hospital stay duration.
Strengthens mother-infant bonding and breastfeeding success.
Summary of standards
The standards for the care of small and sick newborns in health facilities define, standardize and
mainstream inpatient care of small and sick newborns, building on essential newborn care and
ensuring consistency with the WHO quality of care framework. The standards will guide countries
in caring for this vulnerable population and support the quality of care of newborns in the context
of universal health coverage. They will provide a resource for policy-makers, health care
professionals, health service planners, programme managers, regulators, professional bodies and
technical partners involved in care, to help plan, deliver and ensure the quality of health services.
Reference:
World Health Organization. Standards for improving the quality of care for
small and sick newborns in health facilities
. Available at:
https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/mca-documents/nbh/standar
ds-for-improving-the-quality-of-care-for-small-and-sick-newborns-in-health-fa
cilities-2020_6dc7aefe-c6a6-48a5-a3b6-53ee81f904de.pdf?sfvrsn=f2da583c_1
