For decades newborns have gone through screening and assessments to determine where they are health wise after birth. The screening and assessments not only worry about the immediate moment, but also look for possible presence of disorders that could affect the newborn in the future. There are a number of different assessments and scales used after a newborn is born. The neonatal assessments and scales range from assessing behavior to determining whether there is a possible medical condition that could arise later in life for the infant. The screening and assessments are necessary, even if not all of them are completed there are some that will be done automatically after birth. The first assessment that infants go through is the Apgar scale. …show more content…
One such assessment is the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), which assesses the newborns reflexes, muscle tone, arousal states, as well as responsiveness to physical and social stimuli (Berk, 2008). From this assessment other assessments have been developed. One of the assessments that was developed based off of the NBAS is the Assessment of Preterm Infants Behavior (APIB). The APIB is used as a behavior tool designed to document the spectrum of full-term as well as preterm newborn infants’ neurobehavioral functioning (Als, Butler, Kosta & McAnulty, 2005). As time progressed the test was modified to include a variety of responses that went from motor to neurobehavioral …show more content…
This is called newborn screening. Within newborn screening there three test normally given. This screening occurs not long after birth and can provide details about developmental, genetic and metabolic disorders. Two test completed in the screening are for hearing loss and for critical congenital heart disease (CCHD). The hearing test is completed by placing either a tiny earpiece of microphone in the infants’ ear with a sound playing to see whether the infant responds or not. Another way the test is given is by using tiny earphones and electrodes that are placed on the infant’s head to detect the brains response to sound (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2015). The other tests that may be performed is the CCHD screen which the amount of oxygen in an infant’s blood is measured. In order to do this a sensor is placed on the infants’ skin for a couple of minutes, while the sensor measures the level of oxygen in the blood. Within in newborn screening there is also another tests which is the most important
Neonatal nursing is a field of nursing designed especially for both newborns and infants up to 28 days old. The term neonatal comes from neo, "new", and natal, "pertaining to birth or origin”. Neonatal nurses are a vital part of the neonatal care team. These are trained professionals who concentrate on ensuring that the newborn infants under their care are able to survive whatever potential life threatening event they encounter. They treat infants that are born with a variety of life threatening issues that include instances of prematurity, congenital birth defects, surgery related problems, cardiac malformations, severe burns, or acute infection. Neonatal care in hospitals was always done by the nursing staff but it did not officially become a specialized medical field until well into 1960s. This was due to the numerous advancements in both medical care training and related technology that allowed for the improved treatment and survival rate of premature babies. According to the March of Dimes, one of every thirteen babies born in the United States annually suffers from low birth weight. This is a leading cause in 65% of infant deaths. Therefore, nurses play a very important role in providing round the clock care for these infants, those born with birth defects or other life threatening illness. In addition, these nurses also tend to healthy babies while their mothers recover from the birthing process. Prior to the advent of this specialized nursing field at risk newborn infants were mostly cared for by obstetricians and midwives who had limited resources to help them survive (Meeks 3).
The journal associated with this organization is Advances in Neonatal Care. This information was established through the website and the Co- Editors ...
Black, M.M., & Matula, K. (1999). Essentials of bayley scales of infant development II assessment. Department of pediatrics; University of Maryland school of medicine, 1.
Bowlby studied 2 to 36-month old infants. Although there must be further research from 37th month and above, Bowlby believes that the following ages are the most crucial in developing behavioral characteristics among infants. The researcher, however, did not mention other relevant factors concerning the participants such as their race, socioeconomic level and the like.
second, prenatal testing, is a testing of a fetus at risk for the disease. The
There are more than 70% of premature babies that are born between 34 and 36 weeks gestation a year. When a baby is born early, or born with birth defects, the Neonatal Intensive Care unit is its first home. The nurse’s in the NICU have the difficult job of preparing baby’s and parents for a health life together. A baby who has been put into the NICU will stay there until it is healthy enough to go home.
At Wildcat Hospital, I performed my first newborn assessment on a baby. I walked into the postpartum room and greeted the mother and family and asked if I could (along with another student) perform and assessment on the baby for the second time. This assessment was different from the initial assessment I performed four hours previously, because the second time around I had more control of the assessment. I listened to the heart, lungs, and stomach. I assessed the newborn’s respirations, reflexes and temperature. After our assessment was over, I was able to swaddle the baby back up and hand the infant back into the arms of an excited new mother.
...e baby still seems to have too much fluid in his or hers mouth or nose, the nurse may do further suctioning at this time. At one and five minutes after birth, an Apgar assessment will be done to evaluate the baby's heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflex response, and color. If the baby is doing well, the mother and the baby will not be separated. The nurse will come in from time to time to change diapers, check the babies temperature, and perform other tasks while the baby spends time with his or her mother and father (B. C. Board).
...nt for early detection of different diseases. Although they have been somewhat effective in the past, they need to be updated and improved so a wider range of diseases can be detected. Among these checkups, an emphasis should be made on checking for congenital heart defects, especially those who are hard to detect. This should be a priority because a baby with a CCHD could be at risk in the future. Furthermore, children who have a heart disease such as Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome are at greater risk. In these cases, early detection is key for eliminating this types of conditions. This way an appropriate treatment can be given at a younger age and a more permanent solution can be offered to eliminate the condition such as surgery. If the root of these types of diseases can be eliminated now, future generations can have a better healthy life quality and assurance.
With advanced technologies such as this the acidity of the infant’s blood as well as the heart rate can be measured. New
In the United States one in eight births are preterm (“Funding for Premature Related Research”).Premature means that the baby is born early, which is any baby born before thirty-seven weeks but health problems are usually only a problem for babies born before thirty-four weeks (“Funding for Premature Related Research”). Premature births are the leading cause for neonatal deaths and half of all premature births have no known causes (Lynch and Dezen). Babies who survive prematurity face multiple health problems including cerebral disease, vision and hearing loss, mental retardation, and lung problems (Lees, Reynolds,andMcCartan). Obviously with so many premature babies being born today, with so many unknown neonatal deaths in premature babies, and with all of the health problems for premature babies, there is a problem that must be addressed.The government needs to further fund research for the care and prevention of premature babies to prevent unnecessary death and health problems, cut costs in the long run, put previous findings into effect and reduce parental stress.
The Infant and Toddler Rating Scale is just one of the four scales that share the same format and use a scoring system. All the scales have different requirements because they assess different age groups and different settings. These tests are checking on the organization of space, interactions, activities, schedules and provisions of staff and parents. This scale is specifically setup for children from birth to 30 months of age; this group is most vulnerable physically, emotionally and mentally. This scale assesses the environment for the children’s health and safety, appropriate stimulation through language and activities with warm interactions.
Certainly, every nurse carries their own duties and responsibilities. As well as neonatal nurse practitioner, in cooperation with other health care professional, are responsible for diagnosing and managing the care of new-borns with significant health problems. In addition, they also provide a safe, comfortable and therapeu...
The mother described the child as being a fussy infant who had trouble sleeping and would awake several times during the night. The mother also reports the child was a fussy eater, and she experienced trouble feeding her daughter during infancy and needed to switch her daughter to soy formula. Overall the mother reported that the daughter was a happy infant who smiled often. The mother reported her child being alert and responding positively to family members who visited and enjoyed playing with her toys. In regards to the development, the mother reported that her daughter seemed to be developing slower than her first child who hit certain milestones earlier.
Every day, physicians called pediatricians are helping and treating children’s illnesses and making sure they are healthy. Dr. Ananya Mandel describes pediatrics “as the branch of medicine dealing with the health and medical care of infants, children and adolescents from birth up to the age of 18” (Ananya l). Pediatricians work with children and care about their health. Without pediatricians, children wouldn’t receive special treatment, which is highly necessary since caring for children’s health is not the same as adult care. Although being a pediatrician is very time consuming and can be emotional, it is a rewarding and interesting career.