Neonatal Flashcards
What is the NIPE?
Newborn exam: diagnose health problems soon after birth. All should have within 72 hours (ideally at 6-24 hours to allow period of physiological transition).
Screening may be carried out by trained midwives or by paediatricians & is governed by the National Newborn & Infant Physical Examination (NIPE) screening program.
Acceptable obs for a neonate?
HR 120-160
Systolic 50-70 mmHg
RR 40-60
Temp 36.5-37.5°C
What are different steps of the NIPE? (15)
- General Inspection
- Head
- Face
- Ears
- Mouth
- Eyes
- Neck & clavicles
- Arms & hands
- Chest
- Abdomen
- Groin & genitals
- Pelvis & legs
- Feet
- Spine
- Neuro: tone, head lag, cry, sucking, symmetrical movement & reflex (Moro & stepping)
What should be checked in the ‘general inspection’ part of the NIPE?
Colour: polycythaemia (redness), jaundice, cyanosis, traumatic cyanosis (tight wrapped cord causing local petechiae & cyanosis - no central cyanosis).
Skin: stawberry naevi, Erythema Toxicum Neonatorum (~50%!), mongolian blue spot, milia (milk spots), naevus simplex, benign pustular melanosis, congenital melanocytic naevi, port wine stain, collodion baby, napkin rash
Obs
What should be checked when doing head examination in NIPE?
Sutures palpable and fontanelles soft and flat (tense/bulging = raised ICP, sunken = dehydration).
Head Shape: moulding = overlapping skull bones due to passage through birth canal, usually resolves 2-3 days. Plagiocepahly + brachycephaly - both forms of ‘flat head syndrome’ (~1 in 5 babies, most cases no concerns– improves over time). Craniosynostosis (rare, premature fusion of bones + palpable ridged suture > abnormal growth of head). Scaphocephaly (premature fusion of sagittal suture - form of craniosynostosis).
Bleeds: caput succedaneum, cephalohaematoma, subhaleal haemorrhage, EDH and intracerebral bleed (very rare, may cause life-threatening bleeding. Most likely traumatic delivery but may also be associated with NAI).
- Largest circumference: take largest of 3 readings; should be 0.1-0.2cm accuracy.
When do the fontanelles close?
Anterior closes 18-24 months (closure at birth due to microcephaly or moulding). Posterior closes birth-2 months.
What is caput succedaneum?
Oedematous swelling + bruising on presenting part. Associated with ventouse, serosanginous and subcutaneous, crosses suture line (effusion overlies periosteum) pitting oedema.
Resolves without Tx (few days) but may need analgesia.
What is a cephalohaematoma?
Subperiosteal swelling limited to surface of one bone (usually parietal), does not cross suture lines (but can be bilateral!).
Common in prolonged second stage deliveries + assisted deliveries. Usually mild, but severe cases risk jaundice or anaemia. Maximal on the 2nd day + resolves over days-weeks. Resolution linked with calcification which can lead to it feeling like there is a prominent ring of bone around a central defect. These may exacerbate jaundice.
What is a subgaleal haemorrhage?
Diffuse swelling of scalp (boggy appearance), may represent serious blood loss (bleeding between periosteum + scalp galea aponeurosis).
Rare, but potential to be serious (hypovolaemia). May be associated with traumatic delivery e.g. vacuum extraction or with coagulopathies in the infant.
What should be checked when doing face examination in NIPE?
Abnormal facies: e.g. Fetal Alcohol, Down’s, Turner’s, Cushing, Noonan, Weaver, Sotos and Russell-Silver Syndromes
Facial nerve palsy: forceps injury or birth trauma – often manifests with asymmetrical facial expression when crying (care must be taken to ensure infant can completely close eye of affected side!!)
What should be checked when doing ear examination in NIPE?
Position, shape & skin tags / pits / abnormalities.
Pre-auricular skin tags + pre-auricular skin pits - both often normal but can be associated with hearing loss or renal abnormalities
What should be checked when doing mouth examination in NIPE?
Open to check for swellings
Gently insert finger to assess hard + soft palate
(if soft palate cleft: specialist cleft teams who support feeding + plan surgical correction)
Asses suck reflex
Neonatal teeth may need review by dentist as some can become loose and cause airway hazard
What should be checked when doing eye examination in NIPE?
Bilateral red reflex (+6 setting, 12 inches from face)
Absence may indicate retinoblastoma (white reflex) or congenital cataracts - 2 week referral to ophthalmologist
If not co-operative, placing baby over mothers’ shoulder will encourage baby to fully open eyes.
Subconjunctival haemorrhage: small bleeds due to delivery – resolve spontaneously
What should be checked when doing neck/clavicle examination in NIPE?
Palpate clavicles for evidence of birth trauma (fracture relatively common birth injury, especially in assisted delivery e.g. shoulder dystocia)
Check for signs of brachial plexus injury (more common in breech & shoulder dystocia)
Erb’s palsy: injury to C5-C6 peripheral nerves, weakness in elbow flexion & supination
Klumpke’s Palsy: injury to C8-T1 – weak extensors of arm and intrinsic muscles of hand, may be associated with Horner’s syndrome
Examine skin folds of neck for evidence of infection or other abnormalities
What should be checked when doing arm/hand examination in NIPE?
- Brachial Pulses (+ exclude humeral fracture)
- Palmar Creases: transverse palmar crease is found in ~5%; inherited trait associated with Down’s syndrome and other genetic disorders, but can reassure in absence of other abnormalities.
- Fingers: polydactyly often hereditary and most commonly isolated finding. Whole, functional fingers may be kept but finger segments surgical removed. Post-axial polydactyly usually isolated, but pre-axial (rare) is more likely to be related to an underlying medical condition. Syndactyly usually an isolated finding with no impact on function (easily missed so check carefully), but more severe cases can significantly affect function. Polysyndactyl: combination of both extra digits + webbing.
Also check hypoplasia / aplasia / formation of nail beds.
- Grasp Reflex
What should be checked when doing chest examination in NIPE?
- Inspection: symmetry & pulsation
Neonatal gynaecomastia:
- Apex heart: heaves & thrills
- Auscultate 4 regions
- Breath sounds: Noisy breathing common in newborns but should not be increased WOB. Stridor can indicate laryngomalacia, aortic vascular ring, haemangioma nodule of the vocal cord or external compression from a neck lump.
What is neonatal gynaecomastia / how is it managed?
Breast tissue in up to 90% neonates (transfer of maternal oestrogen + progesterone). Enlarged tissue: normal response to falling oestrogen at end of pregnancy (triggers prolactin release from neonatal pituitary).
Usually normal, associated with milky discharge (usually resolving ~few weeks & squeezing out increases complications including infection).
Persistence >1-2 months may indicate pituitary tumour.
Usually bilateral, may be asymmetrical; if unilateral consider abscess or mastitis, especially if heat or erythema.
In the NIPE, what should be considered when assessing for murmurs?
Not all neonates with congenital heart disease will have detectable murmurs and not all those with murmurs will have congenital heart disease.
Risk factors: CHD in first degree relative, T21 or abnormality on USS.
If murmur, reassuring signs are: o Pink, no cyanosis, with normal pre-and-post ductal oxygen saturations o No respiratory distress o Quiet, intermittent, positional murmur o Feeding well o Normal four limb blood pressures
Common causes of pathological murmurs: PDA + VSD. If murmur detected >24 hours of age, senior opinion must be sort: local guidelines likely to include senior review, ECG, pre-and-post ductal saturations (4 limb BP not useful). If suspicion of pathology ?inpatient echo. If not suspected, follow up by consultant or GP.
What should be checked when doing abdo examination in NIPE?
- Inspection
Cord: clean & dry with no redness to surrounding skin
Symmetry / distention / masses - Palpation
Iliac fossae > hypochondrial regions (ensures enlarged liver/spleen not missed). Feel independently for spleen & liver (liver: soft edge up to 1cm below costal margin). Ballot kidneys (often easy to feel in first day of life).
What should be checked when doing groin + genital examination in NIPE?
- Femoral Pulses
Note any difference in quality compared to brachial pulses. In coarctation: pulses absent or difficult to feel (radio-femoral delay is not present as a sign in infancy). If absent: ECHO, 4 limb BPs / saturations & refer to cardiac surgeons.
- Hernial orifices
Umbilical Hernia (usually benign but can be associated with genetic syndromes e.g. Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome), Inguinal Hernia.
- Genitalia & anus
Establish if passed urine & meconium. Anorectal malformation: check anus for patency (note: passage of meconium does not equate to patent anus or anus in correct place – anorectal malformations are commonly associated with urogenital malformations)
Undescended testes (first degree relative cryptorchidism - risk factor)
Ambiguous genitalia
Hypospadias
Scrotal & groin swellings
Palpable Bladder: requires prompt evaluation as may be sign of urinary obstruction (e.g. due to posterior urethral valves in males).
How should undescended testes be managed?
Palpable but undescended needs routine follow-up, if not descended at 2 years old will likely require surgical correction to reduce chance of later malignacy. If impalpable on just one side laparoscopy required to identify position. If bilateral undescended & impalpable, urgent review for ambiguous genitalia required.
What does ambiguous genitalia indicate?
CAH or other endocrine abnormalities - urgent senior review. Genetic, biochemical + endocrine work ups are to ascertain cause + aid decisions regarding the sex of the baby. Informing parents as soon as concerns arise reduces the emotional trauma associated with these complex cases.
What types of hypospadias are there and how is it managed?
May be glandular (on the glans penis), distal (on the penile shaft), or proximal (on the scrotum)
Always important to ensure there is a good urinary stream, educate the parents not to circumcise their baby (foreskin is often used in the repair), and ensure paediatric surgical follow up. In case of proximal hypospadias, may be necessary to complete chromosomal and endocrine workup, as severe cases may be difficult to differentiate from ambiguous genitalia.
How are suspected hydroceles managed?
Scrotal swellings that transilluminate: normally resolve spontaneously but may be followed up for parental reassurance. Care should be taken not to miss an inguinal hernia as these require surgical referral. If doubt about whether lump is inguinal hernia or hydrocele, USS helpful.