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Profile of The Newborn

The document provides information on the physical characteristics and vital signs of newborns, including: - The average weight, length, and head circumference of newborns. Weight varies according to race and nutrition. - Vital signs such as temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure in the first few hours and days after birth. - The appearance of newborns, including skin color, lanugo hair, fontanelles, and common birthmarks. Physical adjustments in the first hours after birth are also described.

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NIKAH PAULINE ALCANTARA
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127 views5 pages

Profile of The Newborn

The document provides information on the physical characteristics and vital signs of newborns, including: - The average weight, length, and head circumference of newborns. Weight varies according to race and nutrition. - Vital signs such as temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure in the first few hours and days after birth. - The appearance of newborns, including skin color, lanugo hair, fontanelles, and common birthmarks. Physical adjustments in the first hours after birth are also described.

Uploaded by

NIKAH PAULINE ALCANTARA
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ALCANTARA, Nikah Pauline F.

BSN 2A

Profile of the Newborn


Newborns may look alike, but each has their own physical attributes and personalities.
Some newborns are fat and short while some are long and thin. There are newborns
who never give a fuss whenever they are changed or cuddled, but some can cry in high
decibels whenever you lift them from their cradles.
 The weight of newborns varies according to their race, genetics, and nutritional
factors.
 To determine if the newborn’s weight is appropriate for its gestational age, a
neonatal graph should be used in plotting the newborn’s weight.
 Plotting the height and head circumference of the newborn also helps determine
any disproportions.
 The average birth weight for a mature female newborn in the United States is
3.4kg or 7.5 lbs, and for the mature male newborn is 3.5 kg or 7.7 lbs.
 For all races, the normal weight is 2.5 kg or 5.5 lbs.
 The newborn loses 5% to 10% of its birth weight during the first few days of life,
then has 1 day of stable weight, and gains weight rapidly afterward.
 The newborn must gain 2 lbs per month for the first six months of life.
 The average birth length of mature female newborns is 53 cm or 20.9 inches.
The mature male newborn has an average birth length of 54 cm or 21.3 inches.
 A mature newborn has a head circumference of 34 to 35 cm.
 Head circumference is measured with a tape measure drawn across the center
of the forehead and around the most prominent part of the posterior head.
 The chest circumference in a mature newborn is 2 cm less than the head
circumference.
 Chest circumference is measured at the level of the nipple using a tape measure.
Vital Statistics

Parameter Average

Weight 6.5 to 7.5 lbs (2.9 kg to 3.4 kg)

Length 50 cm (20 in)

Head circumference 33 to 35 cm (13 to 13.7 in)


ALCANTARA, Nikah Pauline F. BSN 2A

31 to 33 cm or
Chest circumference
2cm less than head circumference

Abdominal circumference 31 to 33 cm

Vital signs

Vital Sign Immediately At Birth After Birth

Temperature 36.5 to 37.2 Celsius

Pulse 180 beats/minute 120-140 beats/minute ave.

Respiration 80 breaths/minute 30-50 breaths/minute

Blood Pressure 80/46 mmHg 100/50 mmHg (by 10th day)

Adjustment to Extra-uterine Life


 The newborn’s color on the first 15 to 30 minutes of life is still acrocyanotic, and
after 2 to 6 hours, there are quick color changes that may occur with movement
or crying.
 The temperature within the first 15 to 30 minutes after birth falls from the
intrauterine temperature of 100.6⁰F or 38.1⁰C then stabilizes at 37.6⁰C after 2 to
6 hours.
 The rapid heart rate of as much as 180 BPM on the first 15 to 30 minutes of life
will have wide swings in rate with activity as it slows to 120-140 BPM.
 The newborn’s respirations are irregular in the first few minutes of life, then slows
to 30-60 breaths per minute after 30 minutes and will become irregular again only
during activity.
 The newborn would be alert in the first 15 to 30 minutes of life, and later on, will
alternate between the sleeping and awakening phases.
 Just a few minutes after birth, the newborn would respond to stimulation
vigorously but would be difficult to arouse while it is still on a resting period until it
becomes responsive again 2 to 6 hours after birth.
 The bowel sounds can be heard after the first 15 minutes of life and becomes
present afterward.
ALCANTARA, Nikah Pauline F. BSN 2A

Appearance of the Newborn

 Increased concentration of red blood cells in newborns, and decreased amount


of subcutaneous fat gives them a ruddy complexion.
 In the first month, this ruddy complexion slightly fades.
 A pale and cyanotic newborn signifies that she may have poor central nervous
system control.
 A gray color in newborns may indicate infection.
 Acrocyanosis is normal in a newborn, wherein the hands, feet, and lips are
bluish in color.
 Central cyanosis, however, is a cause for concern as this may indicate a
decrease in oxygenation.
 Jaundice appears on the second or third day of life as a result of the breakdown
of fetal red blood cells.
 Early feeding to speed the passage of feces through the intestine and prevent
reabsorption of bilirubin from the bowel may diminish physiologic jaundice.
 Pallor in newborns is a sign of anemia, and the newborn must be watched
closely for signs of blood in the stool or vomitus.
 Harlequin sign or when a newborn who is lying on his or her side appears red
on the dependent side and pale on the upper side does not have a clinical
significance.
 Vernix caseosa or the white cream cheese-like substance is washed away in
the first bath, but never rub harshly as it will only come off gradually.
ALCANTARA, Nikah Pauline F. BSN 2A

 Lanugo or the fine, downy hair that covers the shoulders, arms and back of the
newborn would be rubbed away by the friction of the bedding and clothes of the
newborn.
 A white, pinpoint papule called milia can be found in some newborns, mainly on
the cheek or the bridge of the nose, and they disappear by 2 to 4 weeks of age.

 The fontanelles or the spaces or openings where the skull bones join are soft
spots on the newborn’s head.
o The anterior fontanelle is located between the two parietal bones and the
two frontal bones which gives it a diamond shape, and normally closes at
12 to 18 months of age.
o The posterior fontanelle is located at the junction of the parietal bones and
the occipital bone and is triangular in shape, and closes at the end of the
second month.
 Newborns cry tearlessly until three months of age when the lacrimal ducts
mature.
 Birthmarks
o Hemangiomas are vascular tumors of the skin.
o Nevus flammeus are muscular purple or dark red lesion. Generally
appear on the face and thighs.
o Strawberry hemangiomas—elevated areas formed by immature
capillaries and endothelial cells.
o Cavernous hemangiomas—these are dilated vascular spaces.
o Mongolian spots—slate gray patches across the sacrum or buttocks and
consist of a collection of pigment cells.
ALCANTARA, Nikah Pauline F. BSN 2A

o Forceps marks—these are circular or linear contusion matching the rim


of the blade forceps on the infant’s cheeks.
 Permanent eye color appears on the 3 rd to 12th month of age.
 The newborn’s external ear is not yet fully formed, and the top part of the
external ear should be on a line drawn from the inner canthus to the outer
canthus of the eye and back across the side of the head.
 The newborn’s nose tends to look large for the face but the rest of the face will
grow more than the nose does.
 The newborn’s mouth must open evenly when he or she cries.

Reference:
https://nurseslabs.com/the-newborn/

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