Assessment Of The Normal Newborn Flashcards
Vital Signs/ Measurements: Temp
Axillary- 36.5-37.5 C (97.7- 99.5 F)
Vital Signs/ Measurements: apical
120-160
Vital Signs/ Measurements: Respirations
30-60
Vital Signs/ Measurements: weight
Classification of newborns: 2500-4000g (5lb, 8oz-8lb,13oz)
Small for Gestational Age- SGA
Appropriate for Gestational Age- AGA
Large for Gestational Age- LGA
Vital Signs/ Measurements: length
48-53 cm (19-21 inches)
Small for Gestational Age- SGA
Appropriate for Gestational Age- AGA
Large for Gestational Age- LGA
Vital Signs/ Measurements: Head Circumference:
32-38cm (13-15 inches)
Vital Signs/ Measurements: Chest Circumference
30-36cm (12-14 inches)
Apgar Scoring Chart
- 1-3:
- 4-7:
- 8-10:
- it is done twice: once right after birth & five minutes later
- Assess cardiopulmonary
1-3: CPR & likely intubation
4-7: stimulate the baby
8-10: normal- no intervention
Assessing pulses
make sure to compare upper and lower
Mouth
- Check for facial asymmetry
- Check for hard and soft palate intactness, strength of suck
- Look to see if the tongue is not tied due to short frenulum (if frenulum is short it restricts the tongue),
- Baby can distinguish sweet and bitter
- Epstein’s pearls
— keratin containing cysts- feel hard
— Usually disappear without problems - Precocious teeth- neonatal teeth
- Candida albicans (thrush)
- Cleft lip/pallet
Fontanelles
- Assess both anterior and posterior for at least 18 months
- Document if it is flat or bulging
- Anterior fontanelle closes at 12-18 months
- Posterior fontanelle closes at 2-3 months
Head assessment:
Molding:
Caput succedaneum (cone head):
Cephalohematoma
Caput succedaneum (cone head):
- Collection of fluid due to pressure of presenting part against cervix
- crosses suture lines
Cephalohematoma
swelling on one side of the head due to blood collecting
- A rupture between surfaces of cranial bones
- It is a subperiosteal hemorrhage
- Collection of blood between surface of a cranial bone in the peristeal membrane
- Feels loose first, then by 2 - 3 days to several months it is hard.
- May have jaundice as it resolves
Assessing clavicles:
Tx:?
Assess for shoulder dislocation (in large babies)
- Tx: immobilize the arm
Assessing for congenital hip dysplasia
- The greater trochanter* doesn’t fit (you will hear a crunching or clicking sound)
- Unsymmetrical gluteal folds*, abduct, one leg may be longer than the other
Talipes Equinovarus:
Tx:?
Clubfoot
- Where the foot bends inward
to determine the presence of clubfoot, the nurse moves the foot to the midline
- *Resistance indicates true clubfoot
- Tx: casting
Neurological Maturity Posture
- Assess posture for neurological maturity (4 hours after birth)
- flexed posture = term baby
- flaccid posture = preterm
Square window:
Bending the hands/ wrists forward to creat a square
- The more bent the more term
Arm recoil:
Extending baby hands and arms down, then letting go
- baby should flex arms back
Flaccid = preterm
Flexed= term
Popliteal Angle:
Bending leg back to chest to create an angle with leg
- Popliteal angle more square= term baby
- Larger angle= preterm
Scarf sign
Cross body extension
- the maneuver successfully reproduces the patient’s symptoms of pain localized over the AC joint (+)
Heel to ear
- Holding the baby’s foot in one hand, draw the leg towards the ear to see how much resistance there is to the maneuver. The foot should go to about the level of the chest or shoulder, but not all the way to the ear. If the foot can be drawn to the ear then there is hypotonia.
Skin: more dry =
More term