Consequences of poor bonding?
What happens if there’s problems with bonding and attachment? Many mothers-to-be imagine there will be an instant sense of ‘cosmic connection’ between them and their baby when they finally meet. …
Course: Assessment of the Newborn
Bonding and newborn development
To help us understand the importance of the relationship between parents and their newborn babies, we draw on John Bowlby’s theory of attachment. John Bowlby was a British psychologist and …
Early signs of newborn development
In the first month of life, a baby spends all their time sleeping, feeding and cuddling – or that’s how it may seem. In fact, there is a lot more …
Common hip and foot abnormalities
Two of the most common challenges relating to hip and foot abnormalities in newborns are developmental hip dysplasia and congenital talipes equinovarus. Developmental hip dysplasia or congenital hip dysplasia is …
Abnormal findings of the face and head
In this step, we touch upon common head and face challenges – dysmorphic features and congenital cleft lip and/or palate. Dysmorphic features are abnormal features that may indicate a congenital …
Cardiac conditions in the newborn
Heart problems in the newborn baby can be structural or non-structural. Let’s explore further. If the newborn you are assessing has a heart condition, you would expect to observe the …
Respiratory distress
Respiratory distress is common in newborn babies – particularly premature babies. Let’s begin by reviewing the normal pattern of a baby’s breathing in this first video. This is an additional …
How to care for newborn skin
Skincare for the newborn focuses on two main areas, bathing considerations and care of the umbilical cord. Immature thermoregulation The newborn has immature thermoregulation. For this reason, only perform the …
How newborn skin differs
What words come to mind when you think of the texture of newborn skin? Soft? Smooth? Perfect? We all love the feel of a newborn baby’s skin. Have you ever …
Neonatal skin colour
The colour of the newborn’s skin gives clues about the health of the baby and there will also be obvious differences in natural skin colour, due to pigment levels in …
Welcome back to Week 2
You now know the steps to conduct a newborn assessment. What’s next? Week 2 begins with an investigation into key characteristics of newborn skin. We’ll look at colouring and also …
Thanks for joining us on the course
As paediatric nurses, with many years of experience, we know the difference we can make in the lives of newborns and their families. Although we witness the joy of new …
Determining gestational age of the newborn
There are a few methods for determining the gestational age of the infant. Let’s explore the options. The gestational age is often manually calculated from the first day of the …
Prem vs term?
A baby born at term and a baby born preterm, will look and behave very differently. Let’s learn how. A few definitions before we get started. The gestational age refers …
Knowing the newborn
To understand the newborn, we need to consider the experience in the womb and their sometimes dramatic entry into the world. Surrounded by amniotic fluid and cushioned against the external …