National Nursing Review : Nursing Study Resources & Health Tips

The physical examination is performed once stabilized the newborn preferably twelve hours after birth. The player must be sent first to the history of the mother to know the position, design and type of birth (eutopic or dystocic) or other information that can guide clinical findings.

General Appearance:
Sex and development in relation to gestational age and the presence of major malformation or deformation must be noticed. The presence of asymmetry in movement may indicate injury of brachial plexus or cervical cancer.

Posture:
A vertex presentation is observed: arms and legs in moderate flexion clenched fists resistance to limb extension or measurement. If the presentation was breech legs will be stiff and extended takes the position in utero. (more…)

Always keep in mind when considering the newborn or to provide care that loses heat and this loss can occur in four ways:
Convection: is the flow of heat from the body surface to the ambient air is colder. This is why we must stay warm.
Radiation: is the loss of heat from the body surface to a cooler area that is not in direct contact but in a close relative.
Evaporation: Is the heat loss that occurs when a liquid becomes vapor newborn heat loss by evaporation occurs as a result of vaporacion moisture from the skin. This process is invisible and is known as insensible water loss (PIA). This loss may be intensified but dried in the RN after delivery or take long to dry after bathing. (more…)

The major respiratory signs are:

• Tachypnea: Defined as the respiratory rate 60 breaths per minute. Indicates inadequate ventilation or oxygenation. The child responds to hypoxemia or hypercapnia, breathing faster.
• Cyanosis: Reflects an increase of more desaturated hemoglobin 3-5 g / dl. It can occur in heart disease, respiratory, neurological and metabolic diseases.
• Muscle Retractions: These occur in any muscle group of the chest may be intercostal, subxiphoid, supraclavicular … indicate inadequate ventilation that requires the use of accessory muscles. They are common to diseases which reduce alveolar ventilation, eg atelactasias.

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