Preventative Healthcare for the Newborn Baby from Coursera

In this course, you will learn some medical interventions and skills to keep newborns healthy in the days and weeks after they have been born. We’ll tell you about medicines like Vitamin K and erythromycin and how they can prevent serious illnesses. We’ll also introduce screening tests like hearing screening and newborn blood screening that help to make sure that babies are set up for success right from the start. But we will start off by talking about jaundice, looking at the simple ways to identify and treat this common presentation and prevent any harm to babies.

A newborn baby is an amazing beautiful life filled with hope. There is so much that goes into making sure that babies are born healthy, and so much more to think about after they are born. Whether you are in the health care field, or even a parent, this course is the perfect educational opportunity for you to keep newborn babies healthy in the days and weeks after they are born!

What's inside

Syllabus

Jaundice

Let’s start off talking about a common problem that can be easily identified and treated in newborns. And that is hyperbilirubinemia, which we see as jaundice, or yellow skin, in newborn babies. In this module, we’ll teach you how jaundice occurs and the skills needed to identify hyperbilirubinemia. We’ll finish by telling you the steps to take to lessen the chances of permanent brain damage caused by hyperbilirubinemia, which is called kernicterus.

Hearing and Screening

This module introduces you to the world of hearing and hearing loss, particularly in children. You will learn how hearing loss is classified, causes of hearing loss, implications of hearing loss, and why it is important to treat childhood hearing loss as soon as possible. We will explore the systems in place for identifying childhood hearing loss as early as possible, as well as the treatments available once it is detected.

Newborn screening

Everyone enjoys caring for newborns; they are adorable. There is a little more to newborn care than cuteness, though. Our job as clinicians caring for the newly born is to examine them carefully for illnesses that are not readily apparent. One important way in which we do this is with newborn screening tests. In this module, you will learn about the blood spot test. We will go over general concepts and give examples of each of the various types of diseases that it can detect.

Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD)

Congenital heart diseases are some of them most common birth defects. They range from minor to life-threatening. The most concerning are the group known as “Critical Congenital Heart Diseases” because they require surgery by one month of age in order to avoid death. Pulse oximetry is a simple test that can be used to screen newborns for these serious heart defects, enabling us to identify them in the first days of life. In this module, you will learn how to perform this potentially life-saving screening test.

Vitamin K, Hepatitus B, and Erythromycin

In this module, we will cover the role of vitamin K in blood clotting, sources of vitamin K, and the reasons why newborns lack vitamin K at birth. This will help us to achieve the broader understanding of why it is important to administer, or give, the vitamin K injection to newborns shortly after birth! Extending the understanding of the importance of vitamin K by identifying the sources of this vitamin in our diet and the reasons why newborns lack this vitamin, we will then discuss vitamin K deficiency bleeding in newborns and the vitamin K injection. We will then learn about the hepatitis B virus and discuss why it is important to vaccinate newborns shortly after birth! This lesson will discuss eye infections in newborns, and the reasons for application of an antibiotic ointment called erythromycin to a newborn’s eyes after birth.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Explores core medical interventions and skills for ensuring newborn health

Taught by experienced medical professionals with specialized knowledge in newborn care

Provides comprehensive coverage of essential newborn screening tests and treatments

Focuses on early detection and prevention of potential health issues in newborns

Suitable for healthcare professionals and individuals seeking knowledge in newborn care

Requires a foundational understanding of medical concepts and practices

Reviews summary

Highly recommended preventative care course for neonatal health

According to students, this largely positive course provides learners with a comprehensive overview of preventative healthcare for newborns. Learners say the course is easy to understand, engaging, and informative. Key topics covered include routine newborn care procedures, such as how to administer vaccinations, prevent infections, and identify potential health issues. The course is well-structured, with helpful lectures, clear explanations, and useful accompanying materials. Overall, learners highly recommend this course for healthcare professionals, parents, and anyone interested in neonatal healthcare.

This course is said to provide comprehensive coverage of preventative healthcare for newborns.

"It covers all the necessary healthcare information about the newborns."

"As a new father, I feel more informed about the vaccines and healthcare my child received after I took this course."

"This is the best coursera course I've ever followed. Every fact is nicely explained with all the guidelines as reading materials."

The informative lectures are highlighted as a key strength of this course.

"Great course! To get my foot in the door of a hospital after completion. Thank you."

"This excellent course will likely work well with a wide range of audiences - from medical students, general practitioners and aspiring pediatricians who are looking for a review material on the topic, to expectant non-medically-trained caregivers who want to know the science of the medical recommendations in taking care of newborns."

"Such a great course with to-the-point information regarding what actions should be done in the first days of a newborn."

Learners appreciate the clear explanations and simple language used throughout the course materials.

"Excellent! all information is very important and the explanations make it very easy to understand."

"The explanation was amazing and beautifully put."

"Although I have no idea of the medical terms, this course was done in such way that it's not needed to know every single medical term"

This course is praised for its engaging assignments and helpful lectures.

"Very informative- enjoyed the content and instructors!"

"Great beginner course. I recommend this is you want more knowledge with caring for a newborn."

"This course has been amazing. I have learned a lot about how manage correctly newborns, how prevent diseases, and how change the fetal body to transform into a newborn body. Thanks for all."

A few learners mention some minor issues with the course, such as occasional inaccuracies in the quizzes.

"There were some errors, being:Talk about a video on how to administer IM injections to newborn was missing."

"Learnt a lot, four stars only for the mistakes in the answers of fourth week in-video questions - which lead to confusion on my part"

"In week 5 some issues were there with the question and quiz. Overall it was very helpful."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Preventative Healthcare for the Newborn Baby with these activities:

Review basic pharmacology and medication administration techniques

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Refresh your knowledge of basic pharmacology and medication administration techniques to ensure safe and effective medication administration to newborns.

Browse courses on Medication Administration

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Review textbook chapters and lecture notes on neonatal pharmacology and medication administration
Practice calculating medication dosages for newborns under the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional

Review neonatal anatomy and physiology

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Review key concepts in neonatal anatomy and physiology to improve understanding of the basis of newborn care.

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Read textbook chapters and lecture notes on neonatal anatomy and physiology
Attend a preparatory webinar or workshop on neonatal anatomy and physiology

Participate in a peer group discussion on newborn feeding practices

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Engage in collaborative discussions to exchange experiences, insights, and best practices related to newborn feeding, enhancing your knowledge.

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Join a peer group or discussion forum focused on newborn feeding
Actively participate in discussions by sharing your own knowledge and experiences
Listen attentively to others' perspectives and experiences to broaden your understanding

Four other activities

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Create a study guide on jaundice

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Develop a concise and comprehensive study guide to solidify understanding of neonatal jaundice and guide future study and review.

Browse courses on Jaundice

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Gather information on jaundice from textbooks, articles, and online resources
Organize the information into a logical and coherent structure
Write clear and concise summaries of key concepts and procedures

Contribute to an open-source project related to neonatal health

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Involve yourself in ongoing open-source initiatives to expand your knowledge, contribute to the community, and improve newborn health outcomes.

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Identify an open-source project or organization focused on neonatal health
Explore the project and find an area where you can make a contribution
Join the project community and collaborate with other contributors

Practice identifying and classifying neonatal rashes

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Engage in repetitive practice to develop proficiency in identifying and classifying common neonatal rashes, enhancing diagnostic skills.

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Obtain a set of flashcards or online resources with images of different types of neonatal rashes
Practice identifying and classifying the rashes by matching them to their descriptions
Seek feedback from a healthcare professional or experienced colleague to improve accuracy

Attend a newborn resuscitation training course

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Participate in a structured training program to acquire essential knowledge and skills for managing newborn resuscitation and other emergencies.

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Enroll in a newborn resuscitation training course offered by a reputable organization
Attend all sessions and actively engage in the training activities
Practice the techniques taught in the course under the guidance of experienced instructors

Career center

Learners who complete Preventative Healthcare for the Newborn Baby will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Pediatrician

Pediatricians care for children, from babies born prematurely to young adults. To become a pediatrician, you should take courses like this one that will help you understand the preventative medical care needed to keep newborn babies healthy. You may also consider courses on childhood development and educating parents.

See salaries and explore the career path for Pediatrician

Neonatal Nurse

Neonatal nurses provide care for critically ill or premature newborns. Studying the topics in this course, such as jaundice and newborn screening tests, will help you provide the best care to newborns. This course can help you build the skills and confidence you will need to work independently.

See salaries and explore the career path for Neonatal Nurse

Occupational Therapist

Occupational Therapists help people of all ages, including infants, overcome challenges they may have with physical function, cognitive skills, and sensory processing. Taking this course would provide you foundational knowledge in how to care for newborn babies and may be particularly helpful for working with infants and their families.

See salaries and explore the career path for Occupational Therapist

Pediatric Nurse

Pediatric nurses care for ill or injured children. You may find this course helpful to prepare for nursing school, and while you're working as a nurse. It may be particularly helpful in developing skills to help babies, for example treating jaundice.

See salaries and explore the career path for Pediatric Nurse

Physician Assistant

Physician assistants are health care professionals who work under the supervision of a doctor. Often they specialize in a particular area. If you specialize in pediatrics, taking this course will help you acquire foundational knowledge in how to care for newborn babies.

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Speech-Language Pathologist

Speech-language pathologists work with people who have speech, language, or swallowing problems. This course may be helpful for understanding the development and speech of children and could enhance your care.

See salaries and explore the career path for Speech-Language Pathologist

Medical Laboratory Scientist

Medical laboratory scientists perform tests on blood and other bodily fluids to help diagnose and treat diseases. The tests discussed in this course, such as newborn screening, may be part of their work. This course can give you foundational knowledge on the purpose and use of such tests.

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Early Intervention Specialist

Early intervention specialists work with infants and toddlers who have developmental delays or disabilities to help them reach their full potential. This course may be helpful for understanding the development of newborn babies and any challenges they may face. It may particularly help you in your work with infants and their families.

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Audiologist

Audiologists assess and treat hearing loss and related disorders. Taking this course will give you foundational knowledge in the importance of hearing and screening tests for newborns. This course may be particularly helpful if you specialize in working with children.

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Registered Nurse

Registered nurses provide care to patients of all ages, including infants. Depending on your work environment, you may find it helpful to understand the medical care needed to keep newborn babies healthy. This course will provide foundational knowledge on the topics discussed.

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Health Educator

Health educators develop and implement health education programs to promote healthy behaviors and prevent disease. Understanding the material discussed in this course may help you create programs for new parents who need guidance on preventative medical care for their babies.

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Public Health Nurse

Public health nurses work with communities to improve health and well-being. Studying topics covered in this course, such as newborn screening and preventative care, will strengthen your understanding of the public health system and how to care for infants.

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Genetic Counselor

Genetic counselors help people understand and manage their genetic conditions. The newborn screening test topic discussed in this course will give you a foundation to help you explain this test to patients and their families.

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Childbirth Educator

Childbirth educators teach expectant parents about pregnancy, labor, and childbirth. Understanding the material discussed in this course may help you better prepare your students to make informed decisions about the care of their newborn babies.

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Doula

Doulas provide physical, emotional, and informational support to women during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Understanding the information discussed in this course may help you better support your clients as they care for and learn about their newborn babies.

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