Premature Baby Care
Review of breathing, feeding, temperature stability, growth and complications associated with early birth.
From birth through follow-up
Newborn & Premature Baby Care
Specialist assessment for babies born early, babies who needed intensive care and newborns with feeding, jaundice, breathing or growth concerns.
Neonatology
Why newborn care is different
A neonatologist is a pediatric specialist trained to care for newborn infants, particularly premature, critically ill or medically fragile babies. Care may begin before birth with counselling and continue after discharge through growth and developmental follow-up.
PrematurityNICU careFeedingJaundiceDevelopment
Common care pathways
Reasons families consult a neonatologist
Jaundice
Bilirubin assessment, risk evaluation, feeding support and phototherapy decisions when indicated.
Jaundice guide →Feeding & Weight
Assessment of breastfeeding, milk transfer, tongue tie, vomiting and poor weight gain.
Breathing Concerns
Evaluation of fast breathing, respiratory distress, TTNB, pneumonia, RDS and PPHN.
High-Risk Follow-Up
Growth, nutrition, hearing, vision and developmental review after a high-risk birth or NICU stay.
Hearing Screening
Understanding newborn screening results and arranging follow-up after a refer result.
Hearing guide →After NICU discharge
A follow-up plan should answer five questions
Is growth on track?
Weight, length and head growth are interpreted using the baby's gestational age and clinical history.
Is feeding effective?
Review intake, breast or bottle feeding, supplements and signs of swallowing difficulty.
Is development progressing?
Monitor tone, movement, interaction and age-adjusted developmental milestones.
Are screenings complete?
Confirm hearing, vision, newborn screening, vaccination and specialist follow-up plans.
More newborn topics from the original guide
Care from delivery through the first months
Discuss each plan with your maternity and newborn care teams.
Birth preparation & skin-to-skin
Discuss birth planning, delayed cord clamping where appropriate, early skin-to-skin contact, warmth and feeding with the obstetric and newborn teams.
Bathing, cord & skin care
Keep newborn care gentle. Follow the maternity team’s cord-care instructions and keep the stump clean and dry. Seek help for spreading redness, pus, fever or an unwell newborn.
Cradle cap & common rashes
Mild scalp flakes often settle, but painful, spreading, infected or persistent rashes need assessment. Avoid scraping scales or using medicated creams without advice.
Crying & colic
Check feeding, temperature, nappy and comfort. Seek assessment when crying is unusual or accompanied by fever, poor feeding, vomiting, breathing changes or lethargy.
Feeding support
Positioning, attachment, milk transfer, maternal comfort and infant weight all matter. Ask for skilled feeding support if feeding hurts or the baby is not feeding effectively.
Safe ear piercing
The original website included an ear-piercing video and service information. Discuss timing, infection prevention, allergies and your child’s health with a clinician before deciding.
View parent resources →Urgent care
Bring a newborn for urgent assessment when seriously unwell
Do not rely on website information when a newborn has breathing difficulty, blue lips, fever, seizures, marked lethargy, repeated vomiting, rapidly worsening jaundice or very poor feeding.
Prepare for the newborn appointment
Bring pregnancy and delivery records, NICU discharge summaries, bilirubin or screening reports, feeding details, growth records and all current medicines or supplements.