Newborn babies undergo assessments after birth to evaluate their physical and health conditions. The Apgar score is used to assess heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflexes, and skin color at one and five minutes after birth. Babies are also weighed daily and given a full physical exam including vital signs, appearance, and measurements. Maturity is assessed using the Dubowitz exam which evaluates skin, motor skills, and reflexes. Additional routine tests include eye drops or ointment, a vitamin K shot, and blood tests to check for potential disorders.

1. child birth and complication
assess newborns physical and
health conditions
Group 13

2. child birth and complication
Childbirth, also known as labour, parturition and
delivery, is the completion of pregnancy where one or
more babies exits the internal environment of the
mother via vaginal delivery or caesarean section
A childbirth complication refers to any abnormal
obstetrical condition or adverse event occurring
during pregnancy, labor, or delivery that can
adversely impact a mother or baby. Obstetric
complications are ultimately what cause all birth injuries

3. MOST DANGEROUS CHILDBIRTH
COMPLICATIONS /MOST DIFFICULT FOR
DOCTORS TO MANAGE
• Uterine Rupture wall or lining of the mother's
uterus tears open
• Shoulder Dystocia, is an emergency event that
can suddenly occur during vaginal delivery in
which the baby's shoulder becomes stuck while
entering the birth canal

4. cont
Umbilical Cord Prolapse, Prolapse occurs when the
vital umbilical cord drops down into the cervical opening
first and ends up in front of the baby as it enters the
birth canal
Chorioamnionitis, infection usually originates in the
mother's vaginal area and spreads upwards into the
womb.
Fetal Macrosomia is the scientific term for a baby that
is too big for safe vaginal delivery

5. What causes a baby to get stuck in the birth
canal?
• The most common reasons babies become stuck in the birth canal during
delivery include
• fetal macrosomia (the baby is too big for vaginal delivery);
• shoulder dystocia (the baby’s shoulder gets stuck behind the mother’s pelvic
bone); and
• breech presentation (the baby does not move into the correct head down
position prior to delivery). When a baby becomes stuck in the birth canal
during delivery it can be very dangerous and often results in injuries.

6. Assessments for Newborn Babies physical
and health condition
•After birth, newborn babies are carefully
checked for problems or complications.
Throughout the hospital stay, physicians,
nurses, and other care providers continually
assess each infant for changes in health
and signs of illness.

7. cont
• One of the first assessments is a baby’s Apgar score. At one
minute and five minutes after birth, infants are checked for heart
and respiratory rates, muscle tone, reflexes, and color. This
helps identify babies that have difficulty breathing or have other
problems that need further care. . A score of 0 to 2 is given on
each feature examined. An Apgar of 5 or less is cause for
concern. The second Apgar should indicate improvement with a
higher score

9. Complete Physical Exam
Because birth weight is an important
indicator of health, babies are weighed daily
in the nursery. This indicates their growth, as
well as their fluid and nutritional needs.
Newborn babies may lose as much as 10
percent of their birth weight.

10. cont
In addition, each newborn undergoes a complete
physical examination. Care providers evaluate vital signs,
including temperature, pulse, and breathing rate. They
also check the infant’s general appearance from head to
toe, looking at everything from soft spots on the skull to
breathing patterns to skin rashes to limb movement. Your
baby’s head circumference, abdominal
circumference, and length will also be measured

11. Your Baby’s Maturity
Maturity assessment is helpful in meeting a baby’s needs if the dates of
a pregnancy are uncertain. For example, very small babies may actually be
more mature than they appear by size and may need different care
than premature babies.
An examination called the Dubowitz/Ballard Examination for
Gestational Age is often used. This check evaluates a baby’s
appearance, skin texture, motor function, and reflexes. The physical
maturity component of the exam is conducted within the first two hours
of birth. This looks at your baby’s skin, eyes, ears, chest, genitals, and feet,
since these areas of the body look different at different stages of maturity.

12. CONT
Next, within 24 hours after delivery, the Dubowitz/Ballard Examination
looks at six aspects of the baby’s neuromuscular system. These include:
Posture
How far the hands can be flexed toward the wrist
How far the arms spring back to a flexed position
How far the knees extend
How far the elbows can be moved across the chest
How close the feet can be moved to the ears

13. Additional Tests
After birth, all newborns receive eye drops or an antibiotic
ointment in their eyes. This is required by law to protect the baby
from an unknown gonorrhea infection in the mother. Most babies
also receive a vitamin K injection in the upper thigh, an essential
component of blood clotting. The injection helps prevent a serious
problem called vitamin K deficiency bleeding.
Finally, nearly all babies will have a simple blood test to check for
disorders that are not apparent immediately after delivery. Some of
these disorders are genetic, metabolic, or blood- or hormone-
related. Your newborn may also undergo a hearing test.