CHARACTERISTICS
OF A
NEWBORN
SKIN
• At birth, the skin of a normal infant is purplishred in color, then within minutes, the skin pinks
up. Blueness of the hands and feet is frequently
seen during the early hours of life.
• Jaundice. More than half of newborns have
some degree of jaundice in the first week of life.
In most cases, this condition is due to the
immaturity of the liver and is not a threat to the
baby.
HEAD
• Molding refers to the long, narrow, cone-shaped
head that results from passage through a tight
birth canal. If a vacuum is used to deliver your
baby, you may notice more molding and
bruising. The head returns to a normal shape in
a few days.
• "soft spot" is found in the top front part of the
head
• closes with bone when the baby is between 12
and 18 months of age.
EYES
• puffy because of pressure on the face
during delivery.
• producing "crossed-eyes" and jerky
uneven movements, are normal. The
muscle control of eye movement is still
developing.
•
NOSE
• misshapen during the birth process. It may
be flattened or pushed to one side. It will
look normal by 1 week of age.
REPORDUCTIVE ORGANS
• Swollen breasts are present during the
first week of life in many female and male
babies.
• swollen genitals
• Erections occur commonly in a newborn
boy, mean bladder is full and nerves are
normal
FEET
• Feet may be turned in any direction inside
the cramped quarters of the womb.
HAIR
• Lanugo is the fine downy hair that is
sometimes present on the back and
shoulders. It is more common in
premature infants
APGAR SCALE
• A score is given for each sign at one minute and
five minutes after the birth. If there are problems
with the baby an additional score is given at 10
minutes.
• Cesarean section the baby is additionally
assessed at 15 minutes after delivery.
•
•
•
•
•
A-Activity movement of muscles
P-Pulse
G-Grimace- response to care
A-Appearance of skin
R-Respiration breathing
Sign
0 Points
1 Point
2 Points
A
Activity (Muscle
Tone)
Absent
Arms and Legs
Flexed
Active Movement
P
Pulse
Absent
Below 100 bpm
Above 100 bpm
G
Grimace (Reflex
Irritability during
suctioning)
No Response
Grimace
Sneeze, cough,
pulls away
A
Appearance (Skin
Color)
Blue-gray, pale
all over
Normal, except for
extremities
Normal over entire
body
R
Respiration
Absent
Slow, irregular
Good, crying
What does the score mean?
• A score of 7-10 is considered normal,
• 4-7 might require some resuscitative
measures
• Baby with Apgar of 3 and below requires
immediate resuscitation.