NRP Full Form

NRP stands for Neonatal Resuscitation Program, and it is an educational program designed by the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) for guiding Neonatal Resuscitation. The series of emergency interventions for recovering a newborn with severe respiratory complexities is called Neonatal Resuscitation.

Bill Keenan, Professor of Paediatrics and Director at the Neonatology Department of Saint Louis University in Missouri, USA, is regarded as the Father of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program. The NRP Provider Course addresses neonatal resuscitation’s basic concepts and required skills and is suitable for physicians, nurses, midwives, and other neonatal healthcare personnel.

Overview of Neonatal Resuscitation Program

Since 1990, well-developed training programs have been ongoing in various parts of India under the helm of the National Neonatology Forum (NNF). Their primary aim has been to train neonatal care providers and related medical workers in neonatal resuscitation and ensure they receive the necessary equipment.

NRP was also gradually included in the academic syllabus of numerous medical and nursing colleges and institutions. Furthermore, those trained under the NNF, in turn, provide NRP training to healthcare professionals throughout the country. Thus their combined efforts have led to a noted decline in foetal anoxia and related medical conditions.

Principles of Basic Resuscitation

Resuscitation is imperative for babies born with a weak heartbeat, gasping respiration, and, of course, not breathing altogether. Usually, the chances of a newborn requiring resuscitation come in cases of twins or preterm babies, mothers with pregnancy complications, and in cases of prolonged labour. The baby must be kept warm immediately after birth by wrapping it in a dry towel. The doctor then gently rubs the baby’s back and soles to stimulate breathing and clears the airway using a bulb syringe to remove oral secretions.

The doctor must then clamp the umbilical cord once the baby is breathing smoothly. Otherwise, the baby must be kept flat on its back with the head parallel to the surface to properly open the baby’s airway. Finally, the doctor can use an Ambu bag to provide inflation breaths and perform rhythmic chest compressions until the baby starts breathing normally again. 

Positive Pressure Ventilation

Babies who do not breathe well or on their own just after birth often require a method called Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV). It is a breathing exercise where a mixture of oxygen and other gases (as present in air) is supplied to the lungs using positive pressure. PPV can be administered in Invasive (IPPV) and Non-Invasive (NIPPV) variants. The oxygen mix is pushed into the lungs skipping the air passage via tracheostomy or endotracheal tube in IPPV. In contrast, in NIPPV, a tightly sealed special face mask delivers the oxygen mix through the usual airways.

Initial Steps to Ensure Basic Resuscitation in Newborns

• The National Resuscitation Program is one of the most crucial programs for paediatric healthcare worldwide. 
• NRP provides the principles of basic resuscitation and the positive pressure ventilation technique. I
• t also shows the initial steps to ensure basic resuscitation in newborns and discusses resuscitation devices and their uses.
• For a long time, one of the most dreadful diseases haunting newborn babies and parents has been foetal anoxia, referring to conditions where an absence or lack of oxygen supply to the foetal blood occurs. 
• While this can occur for several reasons, a primary remedial measure is always neonatal resuscitation.

Conclusion

The Neonatal Resuscitation Program is a much more effective process when compared to its other variations. The lives of newborn babies depend on the successful implementation of the programming knowledge. That’s why the American Association of Pediatrics has paid thorough attention to the development and implementation of the program in the past few decades. 

Since its commencement, the NRP has witnessed various modifications and advancements which have a cumulative effect on the outcome. The current program consists of highly efficient processes that guarantee the health of infants and parents and is easy to apply. Furthermore, the structural development of the program expanded to include other advanced methods.