 Greater than 37 cm (14.

8 in) or less than 33 cm

(13.2 in) should be carefully investigated for
neurologic involvement.
Head circumference is measured with a tape measure
drawn across the center of the forehead and around the
most prominent portion of the posterior head.
Chest Circumference
 2 cm (0.75 to 1 in) less than the head
circumference – chest circumference of term
newborn.

Vital Signs
Profile of a Newborn VS measurement begins to change from those
 Vital Statistic present in intrauterine life at the moment of birth.
 Vital Signs Temperature
 Physiologic Function  Newborns temperature is about 99°F (37.2°C) at
 The Senses birth because they have been confined in an
 Physiologic Adjustment to Extrauterine Life internal body organ.
 Newborns lose heat by four separate
Vital Statistics mechanisms: convection, conduction, radiation,
Include weight, length, and head and chest evaporation.
circumference.
Weight  Convection is the flow of body heat from the
 Depends on the racial, nutritional, intrauterine, newborn’s body surface to cooler surrounding
and genetic factors that were present during air.
conception and pregnancy.
 2.5 kg (5.5 lbs.) The arbitrary lower limit of
normal for all races.
 Newborn who weighs more than 4.7 kg, a  Conduction is the transfer of body heat to a
maternal illness, such as diabetes mellitus, must cooler solid object in contact with the baby.
be suspected.
 Newborn loses 5% - 10% of birth weight (6 to 10
oz) during the first few days after birth.
 Newborn voids and passes stool, all measures  Radiation is a transfer of body heat to a cooler
that reduce weight, because 75% to 90% of solid object not in contact with the baby such as
newborn’s weight is fluid. a cold window or air conditioner.
After the initial loss of weight, newborn has 1 day of
stable weight, then begins to gain weight within 10
days; a formula fed infant accomplishes this gain within
7 days. After this, a newborn begins to gain 2 lb/month
(6 to 8 oz/week) for the first 6 months of life.
Length  Evaporation is loss of heat through conversion
 53 cm (20.9 in) Average birth length of a mature of a liquid to vapor
female neonate.
 54 cm (21. 3 in) Average birth length of a
mature male neonate.
 46 cm (18 in) lower limit of normal arbitrary  Newborn can conserve heat by constricting
length. blood vessels and moving blood away from the
Head Circumference
skin
 34 to 35 cm (13.5 to 14 in) head circumference
 placing a newborn against the mother’s skin
of mature newborn.
and then covering the newborn with a blanket
 helps to transfer heat from the mother to the Physiologic Function
newborn; this is termed skin-to-skin care.
 If chilling is prevented, a newborn’s Just as changes occur in vital signs after birth, so do
temperature stabilizes at 98.6° F (37° C) within 4 changes occur in all the major body systems
hours after birth. Cardiovascular System
Pulse Changes in the cardiovascular system are necessary
 120 to 160 bpm average heart rate of a fetus in after birth because now the lungs must oxygenate the
utero. blood that was formerly oxygenated by the placenta.
 Within 1 hour after birth, as the newborn
settles down to sleep, the heart rate stabilizes
to an average of 120 to 140 bpm.
 During crying, the rate may rise again to 180
bpm.
 heart rate can decrease during sleep, ranging
from 90 to 110 bpm.
 Brachial and femoral pulse: Palpable
 Radial and temporal pulse: Difficult to palpate
 Newborn’s heart rate is always determined by  It is common to observe cyanosis in the infant’s
listening for an apical heartbeat for a full feet and hands (acrocyanosis) and for the feet
minute. to feel cold to the touch at this time.
Always palpate for femoral pulses, however, because Blood Values
their absence suggests possible coarctation (narrowing) o newborn’s blood volume is 80 to 110 mL per
of the aorta, a common cardiovascular abnormality. kilogram of body weight, or about 300 mL total.
o
Respiration
 80 breaths per minute: first few minutes of life.
 30 to 60 breaths per minute: Newborn at rest.
 Periodic respirations, are normal short periods
of apnea (without cyanosis) which last less than
15 seconds.

Respiratory rate can be observed most

easily by watching the movement of a newborn’s

abdomen, because breathing primarily involves the use
of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles.

Blood Pressure
 Approximately 80/46 mmHg: Newborns blood
pressure at birth.
 By the 10th day, it rises to about 100/50 mm
Hg.
 For an accurate reading, the cuff width used
must be no more than two thirds the length of
the upper arm or thigh.
 A Doppler method may be used to take blood
pressure.