Week 3: Reproduction, Newborn Care & Prematurity Flashcards
Newborn Skin, Hair & Nails
Skin
- Thin, smooth skin that may be ruddy = well-perfused
- Vernix = white, creamy protective biofilm covering the baby during last trimester and delivery
Lanugo = thin hair all over body
Nails should be fully grown
- Short nails may indicate prematurity
Newborn mouth, throat, nose and sinus
Mouth
- Assess tonsils when crying
- No saliva until 3-4 months
- Once saliva comes in, infant drools a lot because they don’t know how to swallow secretions
Nose
- Newborns are obligate nose breathers
- Use bulb syringe and show parents how to clear secretions from nose and mouth
Newborn Lungs
Lungs should be fully developed in full term infants
@ birth, the decrease in pulmonary pressure at birth closes the foramen ovale –> ductus arteriosus closure within first hours of life
Newborn breasts
Usually enlarged d/t mom’s hormones (estrogen)
Newborn heart (sounds, assessment, HR)
Heart sounds should be normal
- Systolic murmur possible and normal
Assessment
- check apical pulse @ 4th intercostal space, just L of midclavicular line
HR
- Newborn: 120-160 bpm
- 6 months: ~120 bpm
- 1 year: ~110 bpm
Newborn Peripheral Vascular System
Ruddy complexion indicates good perfusion
- Cyanosis may indicate cold –> place baby under warmer
- If warmer doesn’t resolve cyanosis, check for heart defects
Femoral pulses
- If weak: check for coarctation of aorta
- If bounding: check for patent ductus arteriosus
Newborn abdomen (appearance)
Cylindrical
Visible peristalsis could indicate pyloric stenosis
Newborn genitalia
Females
- Labia and clitoris may appear engorged d/t mom’s hormones
- External genitalia should return to normal size within weeks
Males
- Testes drop @ 8 months gestation
- Assess for both testes
Newborn anus, rectum & prostate
Meconium should pass within 24 hours
If no meconium during that time, check for anal patency
Early Gross Motor Development
Newborn: turn head side to side when prone
3-4 mo: no head lag, can push up to prone
5 mo: rolling
6-7 mo: sit unsupported
9 mo: pull to stand
10 mo: crawls
12 mo: walk with hand holding
Early Fine Motor Development
Newborns: grasp reflex is present at birth
1 mo: grasp reflex strengthens
3 mo: grasp reflex fades; infant can hold a rattle
5 mo: voluntary grasping
7 mo: hand-to-hand transfers
9 mo: pincher grasp develops, helping infants pick up smaller objects
12 mo: build a block tower
Sensory Perception Development (visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile)
Visual
- Unfocused, with colors indistinguishable until 8 mo
Auditory
- Newborns can distinguish sounds and turn towards noise
Olfactory
- Smell is fully developed at birth, and newborns are comforted by the smells of their parents
Tactile
- touch is developed at birth, and especially sensitive in lips and tongue
Language development
Newborns
- Can really only cry; different pitched cries indicate different needs
1 mo: cooin
3-4 mo: laughing, babbling, consonant sounds
6 mo: imitations
8 mo: combined syllables (mama, dada)
9 mo: understands “no-no”
10 mo: Mama and Dada said with meaning/understanding
12 mo: 2-4 words
Newborn health assessment - Apgar score
Appearance
- 0: Cyanotic, pale
- 1: pink body with acrocyanotic extremities
- 2: pink body + extremities
Pulse
- 0: absent
- 1: < 100 bpm
- 2: >100 bpm
Grimace/reflex irritability (stroke back or soles of feet)
- 0: no response
- 1: grimace, some motion
- 2: crying, cough
Activity/muscle tone (extend legs and arms and observe degree of flexion and resistance in extremities)
- 0: flaccid, limp
- 1: flexion of extremities
- 2: active flexion
Respirations
- 0: absent
- 1: slow, irregular
- 2: good, lusty cry
Scores (taken at 1 + 5 mins, + 10 mins prn)
- < 8 indicates a poor transition
- => 8 indicates good transition
Newborn health assessment - vital signs (normal limits, abnormality indications)
Axillary temp
- Normal: 97.5-99 degrees
- <97.5: sepsis
- > 99: infection
Apical pulse @ 4th intercostal space
- Normal: 120-140 @ rest
- <100 or >180 may indicate heart problems
Respirations
- Normal: 30-60 breaths per minute
Lung sounds
- Clear, easy and non laborious
Newborn health assessment - weight, length, head circumference and chest circumference normal limits
Weight: 2500-4000g
Length: 44-55cm
Head circumference: 33-35.5 cm
Chest circumference: 30-33 cm
New Ballard Scale
assesses neuromuscular and physical maturity for gestational age estimate
Results
- < 35 indicates prematurity
- > 45 indicates post maturity
Square window sign - bend wrist toward ventral forearm until resistance, then measure the angle
- Normal range: 0-30 degrees
- Premature range: < 30 degrees
Scarf sign - lift arm across chest to opposite shoulder until resistance and compare elbow to midline
- Normal/FT range: elbow < midline
- Preterm: elbow at midline or further
Newborn health assessment - tonic neck/fencing, rooting and palmar reflexes (assessing, reaction, duration, absence or persistence indication)
Tonic neck
- Duration: appears at 2 mo, disappears at 4-6 months
- Persistence > 6 mo: brain damage
- Assessing: turn nb head to one side until jaw reaches shoulder
- Reaction: arm and leg on side nb is facing extend, while opposite arm and leg flex (fencing position)
Rooting
- Duration: present at birth, gone by 3-4 mo
- If absent at birth: serious CNS disease
- Assessing: while wearing gloves, touch cheek or upper/lower lip
- Reaction: infant’s head turns toward touched side and opens mouth
Palmar
- Duration: present at birth, gone by 3-4 mo
- If absent at birth: prematurity or neurological defects
- If present >4 months: cerebral dysfunction
- Assessing: press finger against newborn’s palm; test both palms
- Reaction: Grasps finger
- Asymmetry: cerebral dysfunction
Visual Acuity Assessments
Eyes
- External eye (position, slanting, epicanthal folds, swelling/discharge)
- Visual acuity –> checking if nb can fixate on an object
- @ birth, visual acuity = 20/100-400
- @ 4 weeks: nb can fixate on object
- @ 6-8 weeks: nb can follow object
- @ 3 mo: nb can reach for object
- @ 1 yo, visual acuity = 20/200
- Extraocular muscle tests (Herschberg test = shine light at nb cornea)
- Normal: light reflects symmetrically in pupils
- Abnormal: un= reflection may indicate strabismus (lazy eye)
- Ophtalmoscopic exam
- HCP typically performs
- Goal: looking for red lens when shining light into eye; no red lens may indicate cataracts
Newborn health assessment - subsequent physical assessments (genitalia and anus)
Males
- Inspect penis and meatus
- Hypospadias = meatus on underside of penis-scrotum
- Epispadias = meatus on top of penis - thorax
- Check for rashes and lesions
- Determine if foreskin is retractable OR if circumcision site looks ok
- – Phimosis = unretractable foreskin
- Inspect/palpate scrotum and testes
- check both testes are descended; if not, may indicate cryptorcanism (retraction into inguinal canal) which is normal
- hydrocele = fluid accumulation along spermatic cord, aeb swelling; resolves by 1 yo
Females
- Inspect external genitalia
- Appearance: pink and moist
- Maternal hormones causes…. enlarged labia; red/pink discharge; orange urine
- Ambiguous genitalia = enlarged clit fused with labia majora
Anus/Rectum
- Inspect anus using gloved hand to spread nb cheeks
- Assess patency, lesions and meconium
General newborn care parent teaching (bathing & hygiene)
2-3 baths/week during 1st year
Avoid…
- lotions
- baby oil
- NO POWDER (d/t aspiration risk)
Sponge bathe quickly until umbilical area and circumcision are healed
Keep baby warm & safe
- gather all supplies beforehand to allow for quick bathing and no unattended time
Nursing Interventions: elimination and diaper care
6-12 diapers/day = adequate hydration
Meconium passes within 48 hours
Transition stools appear by day 3 of feeding
- Breast fed stool: mustard yellow, soft, seedy
- Formula fed stool: yellow-brown, soft, pasty
***use gloves
Nursing Interventions: cord care
Frequently assess for and notify PCP of….
- bleeding
- discharge
- redness
- foul odor
Keep clamp in place until UC dries out, usually within hours after birth
Parent teaching: cord care
Healing
- Dries out within hours of delivery
- Blackened in 2-3 days
- Sloughs off and heals within 7-10 days
Notify PCP if noticing bleeding, discharge, redness or odor
Avoid tub baths until healed; sponge bathe only
Expose to air often
Fold diaper to avoid irritation
NEVER PULL OR ATTEMPT TO LOOSEN, allow UC to fall off on its own