Historical view of the treatment of a new born child in the Czech Republic.

This diploma thesis named " Historical view of the treatment of a new born child in the Czech Republic" is a purely theoretical work. The main aim of this thesis is to review and analyse opinions concerning childbirth care and the mother-child skin-to-skin contact by placing the baby to mother´s breast. The conception of this thesis is a historical analytical research into both the primary and secondary literary sources and the analysis of the content of the reviewed opinions, the focus aimed at the period from ancient times to the 21st century. In this thesis, not only the care of a new-born child and putting the baby to mother´s breast is described, but also other professions dealing with the relevant techniques and their practicing are mentioned. In ancient times, birth care was provided by experienced trusted women who passed their skills and knowledge on from generation to generation. At those past times the care at birth was closely linked to religion, rituals and magic. In the course of time, the midwife profession came into existence. Midwifes began to educate themselves by reading textbooks where they could find complex advice on how to proceed in certain situations and how to handle new-born child in contact with its mother coming into world in home environment Later on, women began to move birth from home to maternity hospital. Former midwifes became birth assistants and gynaecology nurses. The new-born care began to be shared between paediatric nurses and gynaecology nurses. As a consequence, mothers could see their child several hours, even several days after birth. The development and advancement of medical science consequently brought changed insight into the birth care techniques. In the second half of the 20th century there was an important change of the attitude towards child birth care focussed on the return to natural birth giving process also in maternity hospital, in order that the newborn could again be in direct contact with its mother from the first moment outside the womb. Based on this point of view, first the rooming-in system followed by the more sophisticated Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative method were developed and introduced. At the beginning of 21st century obstetrics reached a very high level. New-born babies receive immediate care adequate to their health condition