This article is an excerpt from the Shortform summary of "Expecting Better" by Emily Oster. Shortform has the world's best summaries of books you should be reading.
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Congratulations! You’ve gone through labor, and the baby’s out!
After giving birth, there are just 4 more things to know about to keep your baby healthy and free of issues.
After Birth #1: Delayed Cord Clamping
- Waiting a few minutes to cut the cord allows the baby to reabsorb some blood from the placenta.
- This is useful for premature birth, halving the need for blood transfusions for anemia and hypotension.
- The risks are mixed for full-term babies, as they get higher iron levels but also risk jaundice jaundice.
After Birth #2: Vitamin K Shots
- They’re meant to reduce bleeding disorders.
- These have been standard since the 1960s.
- Some controversy has arisen about its linkage to childhood cancer, but these findings were not replicated. Common sense suggests that if vitamin K did cause cancer, cancer rates should have increased in the 1960s when they became standard.
After Birth #3: Antibiotics in the Eye
What Happens After Giving Birth? 4 Recommendations
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Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best summary of "Expecting Better" at Shortform . Learn the book's critical concepts in 20 minutes or less .
Here's what you'll find in our full Expecting Better summary :
- Why much parenting advice you hear is confusing or nonsense
- The most reliable way to conceive successfully
- How much alcohol research shows you can drink safely while pregnant (it's more than zero)
- The best foods to eat, and what foods you really should avoid
