Sarah Laffey

ISM 7th

Consolini, Deborah M, et al. “Physical Examination of the Newborn - Children's Health Issues.”

Merck Manuals Consumer Version, Apr. 2017, www.merckmanuals.com/home/children-

s-health-issues/care-of-newborns-and-infants/physical-examination-of-the-newborn.

• A doctor usually does a thorough physical exam on a newborn within the first 24 hours of
life.
• The first part of the exam consists of multiple measurements like weight, length and head
circumference.
• The average weight of a newborn is 7 pounds and the average length is 20 inches, but it’s a
wide range of normal depending on factors like if there were term or not, and the mother.
• Another thing doctors examine is the newborns skin, head, and neck, heart, lungs, and
abdomen, genitals, nervous system and reflexes.
• Routine screening tests are also done to see if there is any problem the doctor is not able to
see during a physical exam.
• The doctor will examine the skin, and note the color. The color is usually a reddish tint.
• The doctor also examines the head, face, and neck for any abnormality caused during birth or
a birth defect.
• A normal head first delivery causes the head to becoming misshaped, form the skull bones
overlapping so the baby can go through to birth canal.
• Some swelling and bruising can occur, but the head will be normal in a couple of days.
• A breech birth is usually avoided and is recommend to be a C-section, but when followed
through vaginally the buttocks, gentiles, and feet are usually become swollen and bruised, but
the head is not misshaped.
• Presser during vaginal delivery and compression through the birth canal can cause some
bruising on the face and the face may seem asymmetrical, but will resolve over time.
• Doctors also examine the ears to make sure they are correctly shaped and in the correct place,
if the ears are abnormal it may mean the baby has a genetic disorder or hearing loss.
• The doctor also checks the heart and lungs by listening through a stethoscope for any
abnormality, they are able to hear if there is a heart murmur or chest congestion.
• The color of the newborns skin can also be a result of a congenital heart or lung disease, so
that is carefully checked.
• The rate and strength of the pulse is check as well as, the rate of its breathing and how they
are breathing. Newborns are nose breathers so they often sneeze to clear the air way.
• The doctor also examines the abdomen and size and shape of internal organs. As well as, the
genitals to ensure the urethra and anus is properly open and in right location.

This article was very informative and explains a lot about a newborn exam and what the
doctor does and looks for while preforming an exam, I will definitely refer back to this
website when doing more of my project and product for my mid-term presentation.
 Sarah Laffey
ISM 7th

“Assessments for Newborn Babies.” Assessments for Newborn Babies - Health

Encyclopedia - University of Rochester Medical Center, University of Rochester

Medical Center ,

www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=90&ContentID

=P02336.

• One of the ways they check the baby is by an Apgar score, this helps find any breathing
problems and/or other health issues.
• During the Apgar scoring they check the infants heart and respiratory rate, muscle tone,
reflexes, and color after 1 minute and then 5 minutes after birth,
• The Apgar score is a scale of 0, 1, 2 with a maximum of 10 and each area is scored with the
expectation of 2 being normal and 0 being abnormal.
• Most babies are at an 8 or 9 score with possible deduction due to different reasons, if the
babies score is 6 or less the baby needs immediate attention and care.
• A newborns birth weight is very important, if baby is full term (37-41 weeks) the average
weight is 7 pounds, so if the baby is smaller or larger they are at greater risk of problems.
• Newborns usually lose about 5% to 7% of their birth weight, which they will gain back in the
first two weeks.
• Most hospitals use gram instead of pound and ounces to get a more accurate weight for
medication uses.
• Their temperature is very important for them to be able to regulate, if they are not able to
regulate their temperature they will need to be placed in isolette for a few hours and then will
have to be able to maintain their temp outside the isolette for a few hours before going back
to mom.
• One of the other exam the newborns are given is a Dubowitz/Ballard exam which can
determined the gestational age of infant, and show the maturity of the body of infant at their
term age.
• The physical part of the exam will show more of the different stages of the gestational age,
and babies with more mature physical features may need different care then one less mature.
• When determining the gestational age, a scoring system is used, the scoring of the newborn
skin textures, hair, creases, breast, eyes, ears, and genitals, as well as nerves and muscle
scoring of posture, square window, arm recoil, popliteal angle, scarf sign, and heal to ear.
• All the physical and nerves and muscle assessments that add together can determine a
gestational age, and usually the higher the score the more mature the baby is.

This article was very informative on what each test is for and why it is used on the baby, it
explained a lot about the gestational age and how it is determined, this article has a lot to do with
the newborn assessments, which I will be using.
 Sarah Laffey
ISM 7th

Fuloria, Mamta, and Shelley Kreiter. “The Newborn Examination: Part II. Emergencies and

Common Abnormalities Involving the Abdomen. Pelvis, Extremities, Genitalia, and

Spine.” American Family Physician, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 15

Jan. 2002, www.aafp.org/afp/2002/0115/p265.html.

• All newborns are carefully examined at delivery to detect anomalies, birth injuries,
and disorders that may compromise successful adaption to outside life.
• If the newborn has one abnormalities, they are closely examined and monitored for
any other abnormalities.
• A scaphoid abdomen can show the presence of a diaphragmatic hernia.
• If a newborn has abdominal swelling, it’s important to determine if they have
something serious going on and should be checked.
• When an abdominal mass is in question and abdominal radiograph, ultrasonography,
CT, or MRI is used to further detect.
• The umbilicus should be examined for signs of bleeding, infection, or abnormal
communication with the internal organs.
• Brachial Plexus is an important thing to look for in newborn, mostly found in spinal
nerves C5-T3.
• Hip dysplasia is very important to check for; the newborns hips could be unilateral or
dislocated.
• The Metatarsus adducts or the C curve of foot can be a sign of fixed intrauterine
position and could be a sign of hip dysplasia.
• The genitalia are very important to check; it can indicate reduced androgen effect or
reduced growth hormone action during second and third trimesters of pregnancies.
• Abnormalities of the spine can usually be seen prenatally or apparent at delivery.
• When diagnosed early, spine defects and be prevented.

This article was very detailed with the abnormalities a newborn can get and how you
determine it, this article told a lot about the actual disorder and why it can happen or
what could happen, this article I could defiantly look back on for information.