Protocols in maternity hospitals also differ when it comes to immediate newborn care. There is a lot of discussion about delayed cord clamping and washing babies right after birth. To help align practices across all maternity hospitals with the principle of what is best for the newborn, some important facts are gathered below. In this area too, it’s important that we act consistently, based on good practice, basic knowledge, and experience—and that this is the same in all Slovenian maternity hospitals.

Vernix caseosa is a white, cheesy substance that covers the baby’s skin in the womb and protects it. It is made up of shed epithelial cells and sebaceous gland secretions. After birth, vernix protects the newborn’s skin, helps prevent water loss, supports thermoregulation, and provides immune protection. In this way, it performs several important functions and helps the baby adjust to life (Singh, & Archana, 2008).

It is known that as the amount of pulmonary surfactant in the amniotic fluid increases, vernix begins to shed from the skin. By swallowing amniotic fluid already in the womb, the baby brings vernix into the lungs and digestive tract. This helps the body learn to accept peptides similar to those that enter the body after birth through breast milk. It prepares for the establishment of a normal gut flora, and it also prepares the immune system for life (Hull, 2010). Romano (2005) also notes in his review of studies that amniotic fluid and vernix have similar antimicrobial properties to breast milk. This is why a successful start to breastfeeding is a critical part of the normal birth process.

Based on this 2013 WHO recommendation, babies should not be washed or bathed for at least 24 hours after birth. If this is not possible for cultural reasons, the first wash should be delayed for at least 6 hours after birth.

Vernix has an extremely important role in a newborn’s natural immunity, which is why it’s even more important not to remove it in the delivery room—not even in preterm babies. With an undisturbed first hour after birth, kangaroo care, later cord clamping, and not removing vernix immediately after birth, we create the best foundation for a strong immune system, the baby’s health, and wellbeing. These things support each other. Our task is to support this physiological process as much as possible in the hospital setting.

Source: my master’s thesis titled “Six areas in the delivery room for better birth practice” (2016).

Read also:

• Bonding between mother and baby after a C-section
• The first hour after birth
• 9 instinctive phases of the newborn
• Fear of childbirth
• Parenthood and bonding
• Breastfeeding in the delivery room
• Birth plan
• Cord clamping
• Postpartum plan