1st. Week

The yellowish color of the skin in newborns is called "jaundice". It may occur on the first days of life due to the accumulation of bilirubin, a pigment present in red blood cells.

The liver is the organ that sends bilirubin from the bloodstream to the gut, which in turn expels it from the body through the stools. The first days of life, the liver functions slowly; bilirubin is not cleared fast enough; it builds up in the blood, and enters all organs, including skin and brain. If bilirubin reaches very high levels in the brain, it can damage the neurons.

A healthy, full-term newborn should not be bathed until at least 24 hours after birth.
A bath can be a stressful procedure for a newborn. Early bathing can trigger hypothermia, potentially leading to hypoglycemia, hypoxia and pulmonary hemorrhage.
There is no evidence to support the need for a first bath soon after birth.
Neonatal hypothermia is a common condition affecting from 32% to 85% of newborns at the hospital.

Universal neonatal screening for eye anomalies is recommended. This should be accompanied by diagnostic and treatment services for infants in whom an abnormality is detected.
An estimated 1.14 million children aged 0-15 years are blind or have severe visual impairment due to eye conditions. The main causes of blindness are congenital and developmental cataracts, corneal scarring, congenital ocular anomalies, retinal dystrophies, glaucoma, and retinopathy of prematurity.

Depression and anxiety are common mental health problems in the postpartum period.
It is very important to systematically address the mother’s mental health and social well-being. Psychosocial interventions should be part of every postnatal visits, along with referral to a qualified professional to address conditions that require more intensive support, through strategies such as psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and interpersonal psychotherapy.

La primera infancia (desde el nacimiento hasta los 8 años) es clave para lograr el máximo potencial de desarrollo en el ser humano. Este es el momento de la vida en el que el potencial de desarrollo de los niños y las niñas es más susceptible a los estímulos del entorno y a las experiencias tempranas, que influyen sobre el aprendizaje, la salud, el comportamiento y, a largo plazo, en las relaciones sociales del adulto y su bienestar.

Nurturing care starts before birth, when mothers and other caregivers can start talking and singing to the foetus.
After birth, the baby can recognize the mother’s voice. Early bonding is facilitated by skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding and the presence of a companion to support the baby mother. These also build the foundations for optimal nutrition, quality interactions and care.

The theme of Breastfeeding Week 2023 is “Let's make breastfeeding and work work”.

Proper hand washing protects us from transmission of diseases. It is possible to do it the right way and save water at the same time.
A person uses up to 1.5 liters of drinking water in each hand washing., but it can be reduced to one-fifth of that.
More than 5 billion people could have difficulty accessing water by 2050.