Babies needing additional care

Some babies will be offered additional care or observations after birth, this is called transitional care.

• If you have needed to take Labetalol for high blood pressure in pregnancy
• If you had gestational diabetes
• If your waters had been broken for more than 24 hours
• If it was thought you might have developed an infection during labour
• If your baby was a low birthweight
• If your baby was born before 37 weeks
• If you had meconium stained liquor during labour
• If your baby is jaundiced and receiving phototherapy
• If you have taken drugs in pregnancy
• If you had known Group B Strep during pregnancy and didn’t have antibiotics in labour
• If your baby is reluctant to feed

Most babies will just need basic observations such as taking their temperature, listening to their heart rate and breathing rate but some babies may be offered intravenous antibiotics, for example if an infection is suspected.

If you baby is undergoing transitional care they will still stay with you on maternity ward and either a Maternity Support Worker or Midwife will carry out the observations.

Late pre term babies (babies born between 34 and 36+6 weeks and babies who weigh under 2.5kg at birth, are shown to be more at risk of being re-admitted to hospital due to factors such as jaundice, problems with feeding, sepsis and respiratory concerns. Therefore it is recommended that these babies remain in hospital care for 72 hours before being discharged home.