What is the primary focus of neonatal resuscitation?

The primary focus of neonatal resuscitation is effective ventilation of the baby's lungs. After birth, a newborn may experience difficulties in breathing, which can lead to insufficient oxygenation and respiratory distress. Initiating effective ventilation is critical in ensuring that the newborn receives adequate oxygen to prevent hypoxia, which can have immediate and long-term effects on their health.

Ensuring that the lungs are adequately ventilated involves using techniques such as positive pressure ventilation, either through bag-mask ventilation or in more severe cases, through the use of an endotracheal tube. This is essential early in the resuscitation process to support the newborn’s transition to breathing air independently.

While maintaining warmth is important and is an essential part of newborn care to prevent hypothermia, it is not the primary focus during the immediate resuscitation effort. Immediate feeding, although vital for a newborn's nutrition, is not a priority during the initial resuscitation phase, as the focus must first be on establishing adequate respiratory function. Cardiac compression is generally reserved for cases of cardiac arrest or when there is evidence of poor perfusion despite effective ventilation and adequate oxygenation, making it less relevant in the initial moments of resuscitating a newborn who requires assistance with breathing.