Diagnostik postpartaler Adaptationsstörungen bei der ambulanten Klinikentbindung

Abstract

Delivery in a hospital on an outpatient basis is increasingly accepted in obstetrics. In West Berlin about 15% of the mothers consider this as desirable, and about 10% actually utilize it. Delivery at home, which is associated with safety hazards, is getting less frequent. Since the problem of disturbed adaptation of the infant can be quite difficult, the method of choice is the easily manageable noninvasive monitoring of heart and respiratory frequency of the newborn during the first hour after birth. This can help to detect latent disturbances of adaptation and premature discharge of the infant from hospital is avoided. The following aspects must be considered: 1. Monitoring is noninvasive and does not exercise stress on the infant. 2. Mother and child are not separated during the monitoring. Hence, the early mother-child relationship is not disturbed. 3. The obstetrician can assess the state of adaptation of the newborn more clearly with the help of the cardiorespiratory diagram. This makes it easier for him to decide whether a child may be released or ought to stay in hospital. 4. If the paediatrician is consulted, he has at his command useful data on a child he does not know with the exception of a few anamnestic data and the actual examination findings.