Taking Care of a Baby in Chile

In Chile,both the well being of the mother and her baby is very important. This is evident by the health care and financial system that exist in Chile.

The medical community in Chile thinks that it is extremely important that the care of the infant begin with the care of the mother so they stress prenatal care. There are established medical programs for mothers to see a doctor on a regular basis. The expectant mother will see a doctor once a month and then increase to once a week as her due date comes closer.

Not only is the mother checked out, but the infant in the mom's tummy is monitored through regular ultrasounds. That way they can check the progress of the baby's developement.

When a new mother is expecting it is important that she takes good care of herself. That begins with her eating the proper nutritional intake. This is one of the main components of the health care system for baby care in Chile. They make sure that the mother receives the best nutritional support for both her and her baby.                            

Another advantage to baby care in Chile is that it provides for the family through financial means supplied by the government. This benefit is allowed to a working mom after her 34th week of pregnancy and last until after her baby is born and reaches 12 weeks old. If she chooses to take time off then the government will provide financial support until she resumes working. One more advantage to this program, it is law in Chile, that a mother can not be terminated from her job for taking maternity leave. If she chooses to, she must be allowed to return to the job she held before taking time off to give birth. 

Baby care in Chile does not just look out for the mother. Much consideration is given to the newborn. This process is accomplished by bringing the baby to a doctor several times during the first 30 days of life. The baby is brought in to see the doctor during the first seven days, on the 15th day, and then one more time before the end of the month. Afterwards, the baby is brought in to see the doctor once every 30 days.

Since most doctors recommend breast feeding regarding baby care in Chile, the health of the mother after she gives birth is vital to the well being of the baby. They are given regular check ups, proper nutrition guidelines, and helpful tips to help take care of the baby. Most doctors in Chile tell new mothers to breast feed for the first half of the newborns life.

Baby care in Chile is not without its problems even though its tries to provide the best care possible. As with all countries, there are challenges that face them as well. Social problems such as drug abuse or physical abuse by parents do occur.   

There are other concerns when it comes to baby care in Chile. One of the problems is due to some economic factors such as being poor. This situation can cause children to be under nourished and the can become malnutritioned. This is a major problem in the healthy growth of newborns. Malnutrition is just one of the reasons why some children do not grow as healthy as they should. The people of Chile have diets that are high in refined sugar. In baby care in Chile, this can cause a major problem...obesity! This makes it hard to keep down obesity and can also lead to more serious conditions like diabetes.

© 2007 Tracey Rock. All Rights Reserved