NORMAL NEWBORN CARE

VITAL STATISTICS

WEIGHT
 Help determine maturity and baseline against all other weights can be compared.
 Newborn weight depend on nutritional, intrauterine and genetic factors.
 Average birth weight for mature female newborn is 3.2 kg (7.0 lb)
 Average birth weight for mature male newborn is 3.4 kg (7.5 lb)
 Arbitrary lower limit is 2.5 kg (5.5 lb)
 If the term newborn weights more than 4.5 kg it is macrosomic (condition occurs in
conjunction with a maternal illness)
 During the first few days after birth , newborn loses 5% to 10% birth weight. This is
because they’re no longer under the influence of hormone that cause salt and fluid
retention.
 Infant have limited intake until about the third day of life due to low caloric content
and small amount of colostrum intake.
 Breastfeed newborn recaptures birth weight within 10 days, formulated newborns
accomplish within 7 days.
 All infant gain weight about 2 lb per month (5 to 8 oz per week) for first 6 months.

LENGTH
 Average birth length for mature female is 49 cm (19.2 in)
 Mature male is 50 cm (19.6 in)
 Arbitrarily set at 46 cm (18 in)
 Rare length 57.5 cm (24 in)

HEAD CIRFUMFERENCE
 Measured with tape measure, it passes just above the eyebrows and around the
prominent posterior aspect of the head (occiput)
 Mature newborn is 32.5 to 36 cm (12.7 to 14. in)
 Greater than 37 cm (14.8 inc) or less than 32 cm (12.5 in) should assess for
neurologic involvement

CHEST CIRCUMFERENCE
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