[Obstetric/neonatological integration and care of healthy newborn infants]

We report how we changed the model of the organization and the assistance in our Department of healthy newborns (2200-2400/years). After we have realized that mothers were not satisfied of the rules of the hospital and personnel was not satisfied of the job, we decided to begin a process of analysis and review of the procedures on full term newborn. During this process we found out that the most important thing was to have clear in mind the problems and the needs of the mother and the baby, and not those of nurses and doctors. A similar process took place in the Department of Obstetrics. In this way we, Obstetrics and Neonatologist together, began to offer a more human approach to birth, and rooming-in began. We stopped to attend every normal delivery, to separate immediately mother and baby, to feed the baby at fixed time, to give him supplementations. We tried to have with the mother a better relationship, visiting the baby in presence of the mother an receiving grom Obstetrics as soon as possible every information about pregnancy. We realized that this was possible only if the Neonatologist and the Obstetric were of the same opinion about a more human approach to birth. We stress this point, well aware that it's impossible to reach this goal unless everybody in any way involved in birth work in great harmony with all the others. A further result of this "new" way of working has been the program of early discharge: if desired, and whenever possible, the mother and the baby go home 48-72 hours after delivery. We report here preliminary data.