There have been a number of queries to the Council about the use of the Newborn Life Support (NLS) guidelines. Many of these are related to when they should be used.

The NLS guidelines are specifically intended for resuscitation at birth. They deal with warming and drying and assessment of the newborn followed, if necessary, by resuscitation, which is mainly concerned with the initial inflation of the lungs and establishing stable respiration. This is different to resuscitation at any other time of life. In addition, the questions of meconium aspiration and umbilical venous catheterisation are considered which are also only applicable to babies in the first hours of life.

A baby who has successfully adapted to extra-uterine life but subsequently collapses (say from sepsis) should be resuscitated according to the paediatric life support algorithms.

Some neonatal units whose staff also work in the labour ward have elected to use the NLS ventilation compression ratio to avoid the confusion of teaching separate ratios depending on location – we have agreed that this is acceptable.

Paediatric Subcommittee

 
 
 
 
 

	© Resuscitation Council (UK)  2009   This page last updated: 9 November 2009