High

Screening tests are required for the following conditions:
- Inborn errors of metabolism and heart diseases. The tests should be carried out with a dried blood spot sample (heel prick), within 24 to 36 hours of birth. The number and type of diseases that should be screened depends on the screening package offered in each country.
- Critical congenital heart disease. This should be tested with pulse oximetry within 24 hours of birth.
Neonates requiring supplementary oxygen should be screened after 24 hours of being clinically stable, in ambient air.

Screening tests evaluate different health conditions before newborns are discharged from the care center. These tests, or screenings, allow the diagnosis of neurometabolic or structural diseases, such as congenital heart defects or hip dislocation.

For all neonates it is recommended topical ocular prophylaxis for the prevention of gonococcal (Neisseria gonorrhoeae) and chlamydial (Chlamydia trachomatis) ophthalmia neonatorum.

After birth, breastfeeding is initiated by the newborn if he/she is in direct and uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact with the mother for at least one hour after birth.

Bathing should be delayed to after 24 hours of birth. If this is not possible at all due to cultural reasons, bathing should be delayed for at least 6 hours. Appropriate clothing of the baby for ambient temperature is recommended, this should be 1–2 layers more than adults and a hat.
The mother and baby should not be separated and should stay in the same room 24 hours a day

Clean, dry cord care is recommended for newborns born in health facilities, and at home in low neonatal mortality settings.
Daily chlorhexidine (4%) application to the umbilical cord stump during the first week of life is recommended for newborns who are born at home in settings with high neonatal mortality (neonatal mortality rate >30 per 1000). Use of chlorhexidine in these situations may be considered only to replace application of a harmful traditional substance
 

The following are recommendations to consider when hospital discharge after neonatal admission, and even if the baby was born healthy and at term:
· avoid exposing the patient to crowds of people;
· avoid passive exposure to smoke from parents and other family members;
· limit contact between newborns and infected people as much as possible.
If parents and close caregivers present signs of flu or a cold:
· increase personal hygiene precautions, including hand hygiene;
· put a mask or a handkerchief over the mouth and nose while caring for newborns;

After an uncomplicated vaginal birth in a health facility, healthy mothers and newborns should receive care in the facility for at least 24 hours after birth.
If birth is at home, the first postnatal contact should be as early as possible within 24 hours of birth.
At least three additional postnatal contacts are recommended for all mothers and newborns, on day 3 (48–72 hours), between day 7–14, and 6 weeks after birth.

• Choose a location for the bath without drafts, during the warmest part of the day.
• Have all necessary items ready in advance and close at hand: towel, soap, clothes, diaper, blanket.
• Bathe daily or more than once a day, if necessary (if the newborn is restless, crying, hot, feverish...).
• Do not use alcohol in bath water; it dries the skin and irritates the mucous membranes. and it is dangerous.
• Do not use lotions, perfumes, talcum powder, or ointments.
• Dry skinfolds thoroughly.

• Remove excess feces with the disposable diaper.
• Take the baby to water for a cleaning, removing all feces, or use a cloth diaper moistened with lukewarm water to clean, avoiding friction. When cleaning infant girls, it is important to wipe from the vagina toward the anus rather than the reverse (to prevent urinary infection).
• Dry thoroughly and put on a clean diaper. Use cornstarch but avoid talcum powders, which can cause allergies
• Avoid the use of premoistened wipes, which can cause allergic reactions in the child.