Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
SpringerLink
Log in

Physical Examination of the Newborn

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Neonatology

Abstract

A complete physical examination of every newborn should be performed within 24 h from birth: although there is not international standard, routine examination is regarded as a good practice in the guidelines for postnatal care.

Aims of the routine neonatal examination are to detect problems arising from maternal or familiar diseases; to confirm or not some conditions suspected during antenatal period; to detect any acute condition requiring urgent diagnosis and therapy; to diagnose congenital problems not already identified at birth; to screen some specific conditions, such as developmental dysplasia of the hip and congenital cataract; and to provide initial health and educational advice for the newborn. In any case, routine examination may be an opportunity for the healthcare provider to discuss with the parents any questions or worries about their baby, to reassure them and to give them appropriate advice.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 479.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 799.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ainsworth SB, Wyllie JP, Wren C (1999) Prevalence and clinical significance of cardiac murmurs in neonates. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 80:F43–F45

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • American Academy of Pediatrics (2000) Clinical practice guideline: early detection of developmental dysplasia of the hip. Pediatrics 105:896

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ballard JL, Novak KK, Driver MA (1979) A simplified score of fetal maturation of newly born infants. J Pediatr 95:769–774

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ballard JL, Khoury JC, Wedig K et al (1991) New Ballard score, expanded to include extremely premature infants. J Pediatr 119:417–423

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barlow TG (1962) Early diagnosis and treatment of congenital dislocation of the hip. J Bone Joint Surg Br 44:B292–B301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brazelton TB (1973) Neonatal behavioural assessment scale. Spastics International Medical, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Cameron N (2004) Measuring techniques and instruments. In: Nicoletti I, Benso L, Gilli G (eds) Physiological and pathological auxology. Firenze, Edizioni Centro Studi Auxologici, pp 117–159

    Google Scholar 

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2013c) Screening for critical congenital heart defects: morbidity and mortality weekly report (MMWR) podcasts. Retrieved 3 Mar 2013, from http://www.cdc.gov/nvbddd/pediatricgenetics/pulse.html

  • Chan A, McCaul KA, Cundy PJ et al (1997) Perinatal risk of factors for developmental dysplasia of the hip. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 76:F94–F100

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Demott K, Bick D, Norman R, et al (2006) Clinical guidelines and evidence review for post natal care: routine post natal care of recently delivered women and their babies last updated: February 2015

    Google Scholar 

  • Dezateux C, Brown J, Arthur R et al (2003) Performance, treatment pathways, and effects of alternative policy options for screening for developmental of the hip in the United Kingdom. Arch Dis Child 88:753–759

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Driver CP, Losty PD (1998) Neonatal testicular torsion. Br J Urol 82:855–858

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dubowitz L, Dubowitz V (1981) The neurological assessment of the preterm and full-term newborn infant. Clin Dev Med No 79. SIMP/Heinemann, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans-Jones G, Kay SPJ, Weindling AM et al (2003) Congenital brachial palsy: incidence, causes and outcome in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 88:F185–F189

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Farrer KFM, Rennie JM (2003) Neonatal murmurs: are senior house officers good enough? Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 88:F147–F151

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gibson P, Britton J, Hall DMB et al (1995) Lumbosacral skin markers and identification of occult spinal dysraphism in neonates. Acta Pediatr 84:208–209

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Godward S, Dezateux C (1998) Surgery for congenital dislocation of the hip in the UK as a measure of outcome of screening. Lancet 351:1149–1152

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein M (2013) Critical complex congenital heart disease (CCHD). Congenital Cardiology Today 11(3):1–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Kriss VM, Desai NS (1998) Occult spinal dysraphism in neonates: assessment of high risk cutaneous stigmata on sonography. AJR Am J Roentgenol 171:1687–1693

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kugelman A, Hadab B, Ben-David J et al (1997) Preauricular tags and pits in the newborn: the role of hearing tests. Acta Paediatr 86:170–172

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kugelman A, Tubi A, Bader D et al (2002) Preauricular tags and pits in the newborn: the role of renal ultrasonography. J Pediatr 141:388–391

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahle WT, Newburger JW, Matherne GP et al (2009) Role of pulse oximetry in examining newborns for congenital heart disease: a scientific statement from the AHA and AAP. Pediatrics 124(2):823–836

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malessy MJ, Pondaag W (2009) Obstetric brachial plexus injuries. Neurosurg Clin N Am 20(1):1–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCrindle BW, Shaffer KM, Kan JS et al (1996) Cardinal clinical signs in the differentiation of hearth murmurs in children. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 150:169–174

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Medina LS, Crone K, Kuntz KM (2001) Newborns with suspected occult spinal dysraphism: a cost effectiveness analysis of diagnostic strategies. Pediatrics 108:e101

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ortolani M (1937) Un segno poco noto e sua importanza precoce di prelussazione congenita dell’anca. Pediatrica (Napoli) 45:129–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Pondaag W, Malessy MJA, Thomeer RTWM (2004) Natural history of obstetric brachial plexus palsy: a systematic review. Dev Med Child Neurol 46:138–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riede FT, Worner C, Dahnert I et al (2010) Effectiveness of neonatal pulse oximetry screening for detection of critical congenital heart disease in daily clinical routine – results from a prospective multicenter study. Eur J Pediatr 169(8):975–981

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Royal College of Anaesthetists, Royal College of Midwives, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (2007) Safer childbirth- minimum standards for the organisation and delivery of care in labour. RCOG Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (2016) Providing quality care for women a framework for maternity service standards, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Smythe JF, Teixeira OH, Vlad P et al (1990) Initial evaluation of heart murmurs: are laboratory tests necessary? Pediatrics 86:497–500

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Swaiman KF (1999) Neurologic examination of the term and preterm infant. In: Swaiman KF, Ashwal A (eds) Pediatric neurology: principles and practice, 3rd edn. Mosby, St Louis, p 69

    Google Scholar 

  • Thummala MR, Raju TN, Langeberg P et al (1998) Isolated single umbilical artery anomaly and the risk for congenital malformations: a meta-analysis. J Pediatr Surg 33:580–585

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Villar J, Cheikh Ismail L, Victora CG et al (2014) International standards for newborn weight, length, and head circumference by gestational age and sex: the newborn cross-sectional study of the INTERGROWTH-21st project. Lancet 384(9946):857–868

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolke D, Dave S, Hayes J et al (2002) Routine examination of the newborn and maternal satisfaction: a randomised controlled trial. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 86:F155–F160

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wren C, Richmond S, Donaldson L (1999) Presentation of congenital heart disease in infancy: implications for routine examination. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 80:F49–F53

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neonatal Unit, University of Turin, Turin, Italy

    Alessandra Coscia, Paola Di Nicola, Enrico Bertino & Claudio Fabris

Authors
  1. Alessandra Coscia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Paola Di Nicola
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Enrico Bertino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Claudio Fabris
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alessandra Coscia .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Giuseppe Buonocore

  2. Department of Pediatrics Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Rodolfo Bracci

  3. Liverpool Women’s Hospital Neonatal Unit, Liverpool, UK

    Michael Weindling

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Coscia, A., Di Nicola, P., Bertino, E., Fabris, C. (2018). Physical Examination of the Newborn. In: Buonocore, G., Bracci, R., Weindling, M. (eds) Neonatology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29489-6_181

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29489-6_181

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-29487-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-29489-6

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation