Hello and welcome to the Zero to Finals podcast.

My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about the newborn examination.

If you want to follow along with written notes on this topic,

you can follow along at ZeroDefinals.com slash newborn exam

or in the neonatology section of the Zero to Finalsediatrics book. So let's get straight into it.

The newborn examination is used as a screening tool to pick up abnormalities in a newborn baby.

Without this examination, babies could go home with an extra digit, a heart murmur or spina bifida.

It's at this point that referrals are sent to specialties that may need to follow up the baby,

for example urology follow up for hypospadias.

The examination should initially be performed within the first 72 hours after birth,

and it's then repeated at six to eight weeks

by their GP. The initial check can be performed by a trained midwife or pediatric doctor.

For home birth, the GP may visit to perform the baby check or it may be done by the midwife at

home. There's some basic principles to be aware of.

Firstly, you need to wash your hands before and after

and minimise any risk of introducing infection into the baby.

Explain, reassure and keep the parents involved the whole time.

Keep the baby warm and comfortable during the examination.

Every part of the body needs to be examined, so they need to be adequately exposed to allow a full examination of the skin. Try to start at the top of the head and work your way down to the toes.

And have a systematic approach but be opportunistic.

For example, if the baby has their eyes open, it's a good

opportunity to check the red reflex. And if they're settled, it may be a good time to listen to their

...