The golden hour approach: Practical guidelines of the Saudi neonatology society on managing very low birth weight infants in the first hour of life

Premature infants are at a high risk of morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, physiologic immaturity renders most very low birth weight infants (VLBWIs) in need of interventions and stabilization immediately following birth. Some of these may trigger deleterious processes that become significant precursors to acute and chronic morbidities. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is lacking guidelines that focus on VLBWI, especially on the first hour of life (golden hour). Therefore, the aim of these practice guidelines is to compliment rather than replace clinical judgment. In addition, golden hour approach will enable units to collaborate in providing comprehensive care to VLBWI and thus will improve their chances of survival without pulmonary, neurodevelopmental, and neurosensory morbidities.