The Pan American Health Organization's Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Follow-up of Newborns at Risk recommend that the frequency of check-ups be, according to each aspect to be evaluated, as shown in the following table:
Beyond the age of 2, children at risk should continue to be monitored, at least until they enter school.
To ensure the quality and safety of the retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening exam, the Pan American Health Organization's Clinical Practice Guidelines emphasize the importance of preparing the infant for fundus examination, including appropriate pain management and comfort during the procedure.
Before the ROP screening exam, to dilate the newborn's pupil, it is recommended:
Every year, an estimated 1 in 10 babies is born prematurely, which amounts to approximately 1.2 million children in the Region of the Americas.
Prematurity, defined as birth before the 37th week of gestation, is one of the leading causes of neonatal mortality, morbidity, and disability. Newborns face a significantly higher risk of complications — from breathing difficulties, infections, and poor growth to delays in neurological, school, and lifelong development.
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is the leading cause of preventable blindness in childhood. Managing ROP is a priority policy to reduce its prevalence and promote eye health.
Newborns, and children deserve safe care tailored to every stage of their lives.
Health professionals: your role is key to preventing avoidable harm.
Families play a key role in ensuring that newborns and children receive safe health care.
Mothers, fathers, and caregivers can contribute by keeping records of medications and symptoms, staying informed, asking questions, and voicing any concerns.
Join the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for a regional webinar to mark World Patient Safety Day 2025 under the slogan “Patient safety from the start!”.
On World Patient Safety Day, it’s critical to highlight the need for safe care from the very beginning of life. Newborns and children require care tailored to their age, weight, developmental stage, health needs, and social context to prevent avoidable harm.
Every child and every newborn have the right to safe, quality health care from day one.
A single safety incident can have lifelong consequences for a child’s health and development.
Join the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for a regional webinar to mark World Patient Safety Day 2025 under the slogan “Patient safety from the start!”.
When: 23 September 2025
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (EDT)
To establish lactation when an extremely premature birth occurs, it is important:
1) Manually expressing colostrum, within the first three hours after birth, initiates the milk production process and has several benefits:
- It empties the mammary gland which, together with the action of the hormones that promote labor and delivery, are a powerful stimulus to initiate milk production.
El Código se aplica en todos los países, con independencia de lo establecido en las políticas nacionales sobre la alimentación de los lactantes cuyas madres están infectadas por el VIH. La aplicación del código es fundamental para que no disminuyan las tasas de lactancia materna.