Specificities of nursing newborn children with partum cranial injuries

Birth injuries of the new-born infants might be caused either by mechanical or anoxic traumas that occur during the birth. The injuries might be a result of insufficient attention or inadequate efforts of the obstetrician but might as well occur completely independently of the obstetrician´s activities. The character and extent of birth injuries are very wide and vary from the insignificant ones that are cured completely without any consequences to those that leave long-term consequences and that may even end in the death of the new-born infant. Cranial injuries of the new-born infants include: caput succedaneum (swollen scalp), cephalohaematoma, petechiae, suffusion, eye injuries, scalpel-incised wounds, parietal bones fractures, spinal cord injuries and intracranial haemorrhage. This Baccalaureate thesis surveys the knowledge of the nursing staff as far as birth cranial injuries are concerned and concentrates also at specific aspects of nursing new-born infants who suffer from caput succedaneum (swollen scalp) and cephalohaematoma. The theoretical part comprises the most important pieces of medical knowledge in nursing new-born infants with birth cranial injuries. The first goal of this thesis was to map the level of knowledge of the birth cranial injuries among the nursing staff. In compliance with this goal a hypothesis was stipulated: ?Members of the nursing staff are well-informed about birth cranial injuries.? This hypothesis was verified and confirmed. It was found out that members of the nursing staff have good knowledge about birth cranial injuries, their predispositions and prevention. A quantitative research was carried out using the questioning method (the questionnaire technique was used). The research was carried out at the Neonatal Departments of the hospitals Nemocnice České Budějovice, a.s, Nemocnice Písek, a. s. and Nemocnice Strakonice, a.s. The second goal of this thesis was to map the specific aspects of nursing new-born infants who suffer from caput succedaneum (swollen scalp) and cephalohaematoma. In compliance with this goal a research question was stipulated: ?What are the specific aspects of nursing the new-born infants who suffer from caput succedaneum and cephalohaematoma?? It was found out that nursing new-born infants with caput succedaneum and cephalohaematoma does not comprise many specific aspects. The most important thing is to nurse such infants carefully and with caution, to position their heads on the side without caput succedaneum or cephalohaematoma, to check regularly the bilirubin level, to observe carefully the cephalohaematoma or caput succedaneum (its colour, size, localization) and to watch the behaviour of the new-born, mainly whether it shows any signs of pain. The research was carried out in a qualitative way using the question method ? the depth interview technique. The research file consisted of two nurses and two midwives from the Neonatal Department of the České Budějovice Hospital, a.s. The research has revealed that the nursing staff at neonatal departments is well informed about birth cranial injuries and that the nursing methods applied at new-born infants who suffer from caput succedaneum and cephalohaematoma do not differ much from the methods used in case of physiological infants. The output of the thesis is an educative material concerning birth cranial injuries that is intended for the nursing staff at neonatal departments