Care of the “High Risk” Newborn Infant

Close cooperation between the obstetrician and the paediatrician in the perinatal period is a comparatively recent innovation. Not so long ago, the care of the newborn infant during the first days of life was the province of the obstetrician, who assessed the infant’s state primarily from the angle of the immediate birth results. Its further care was entrusted almost entirely to the female staff, on the assumption that at least 90% of newborn infants are normal and healthy and did not require special medical attention.