Question & AnswerQ&A (DOH ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2009-0025)
The main objective is to ensure the provision of globally accepted evidence-based essential newborn care focusing on the first week of life, guiding health workers and medical practitioners, and defining roles and responsibilities for implementing the newborn protocol.
It applies to the entire hierarchy of the Department of Health and its attached agencies, other public and private healthcare providers, development partners implementing the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN) strategy, and all health practitioners involved in maternal and newborn care.
Kangaroo Mother Care is a method of care for all newborns, especially premature babies, consisting of skin-to-skin contact, exclusive breastfeeding, and support to the mother-infant dyad.
Within the first 30 seconds after birth, drying and providing warmth to prevent hypothermia; facilitating skin-to-skin contact; non-immediate cord clamping; and initiating breastfeeding within the first 90 minutes of life.
Routine suctioning is not recommended unless the newborn's mouth or nose is blocked. It has no benefit if the amniotic fluid is clear and may cause infection or cardiac problems.
Bathing or washing newborns should be delayed for at least 6 hours after birth to prevent hypothermia and preserve the protective vernix coating on the skin.
LGUs are tasked to adopt and implement the policy, ensure budget support for maternal and newborn care activities, conduct training and orientation for health workers, and monitor and evaluate the activities including this protocol.
PhilHealth must ensure policy congruence with existing health insurance policies, develop benefit packages supporting the implementation of the policy, promote these packages, and monitor related activities.
Cord clamping should be delayed until pulsations stop, typically between 1 to 3 minutes after birth, to reduce anemia and intraventricular hemorrhages in newborns.
This approach recognizes individuals as active participants in their own development, respecting the indivisibility of human rights including cultural, economic, and social rights, emphasizing client participation as both a means and goal.