This document defines and classifies newborns based on gestational age, birth weight, mortality risk, and period of care. It discusses the early and late neonatal periods from birth to 4 weeks. Newborns are classified as term, preterm, or post-term based on weeks of gestation. They are also classified by birth weight as low, moderately low, very low, or extremely low. The primary goals of newborn care are to help the baby adapt to life outside the womb by initiating breathing, regulating temperature, and feeding.

1. Care of normal newborn
DEFINITION
1. From birth to 4 weeks (28 days ) of age , the baby is called neonates or
newborn.
2. Early neonatal period :- from birth to 7 days of life or 168 days of 168
hours, is early neonatal period .
3. Late neonatal period : from 7th day to 28th days of life is late neonatal
period .
4. Live birth :- live birth is defined as complete expulsion or extraction from
mother of product of conception , which after separation shows signs of
life for the least 1 hour .
5. Term baby :-any neonate born between 37-42 weeks of gestation is known
as term baby.
6. Pre term :- any neonate born before 37th week of gestation is called pre-
term .
7. Post term :- any neonate born at or after 42 weeks of gestation is known
as post term .
8. Perinatal period :- the period extending from 22nd week of gestation to 7th
days after birth is known as perinatal period .

2. Classification according to size
• Low birth weight (LBW) infant – an infant whose birth weight
is less than 2500g , regardless of gestational age.
• Moderately low birth weight (MLBW) infant :- an infant
whose birth weight is 1501-2500g.
• Very low birth weight (VLBW) infant – an infant whose birth
weight is less than 15000g.
• Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infant –an infant whose
birth weight is less than 1000g.
• Appropriate for gestational age (APA).
• Small for dates (SFD) or small for gestational age (SGA).
• Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) – found in infants
whose intrauterine growth is retarded.
• Large for gestational age (LGA)-

3. Classification According To Gestational
Age
• Premature ( preterm ) infant – an infant born
before completion of 37 weeks of gestation ,
regardless of birth weight .
• Full term infant – an infant born between the
beginning of 38 weeks and completion of 42
weeks of gestation , regardless of birth weight.
• Post mature ( post –term) infant – an infant born
after 42 weeks of gestational age , regardless of
birth weight.

4. Classification According to mortality
1) Fetal death – Death of the fetas after 20 weeks of
gestation and before delivery , with absence of any
sign of life after birth .
2) Neonate death – Death that occures in the first 27
days of life is known as neonatal death . Early
neonatal death occures in the first week and late
neonatal death occurs between 7 to 27 days .
3) Perinatal mortality – describes the total number of
fetal and early neonatal deaths per 1000 live births.
4) Postnatal death – Death of neonate that occurs
between 28 days to 1 year.

5. Care of newborn
• Care of the newborn at birth is primarily
aimed at helping the new born to adapt
physiologically to extra uterine environment .
This physiological adaptation includes –
 initiation of respiration and oxygenation of
arterial blood .
Temperature regulation.
Initiation of feeding.