Audit cycle of newborn observations on the postnatal wards.

Two reviews of the 2006 NICE guidance1 on the postnatal care of mothers and their babies have recently been published in your journal.2 3 All three submissions neglected to include comment or guidance on the observation of babies at risk of clinical deterioration in the first 24 h of life. There are a significant proportion of newborns who are well enough to remain with their mothers but who are at risk of becoming unwell. There is widespread consensus in the …