Newborn Assessment Flashcards
(147 cards)
Physiological changes of a newborn
Pulmonary gas exchange
A neonatal cardiovascular pattern
A stable serum glucose level
Thermoregulation
We want to assess and monitor neonatal adaptations in order to detect complications such as …
Hypoxia Cold stress Hypoglycemia Infection Polycythemia Hyperbilirubinemia
What assessments do we complete on a newborn?
Vital signs, especially temperature (BPs are rarely done) BPs only done when were suspicious of cardiovascular anomalies Nutrition Elimination Transition to extrauterine life Activity state Umbilical cord If indicated: Glucose monitoring Bilirubin Circumcision assessment
APGAR SCORING purpose
Indicative of the need for resuscitation, not the degree of asphyxia
Infants are scored at one and five minutes and if needed at ten minutes
what are we looking at when doing APGAR scoring?
heart rate respirations muscle tone reflex irritability color
heart rate (apgar)
0 = absent 1 = < 100 2 = > 100
respirations (apgar)
0 = absent 1 = weak cry hypoventilation 2 = good, strong cry
muscle tone (apgar)
0 = limp 1 = some flexion 2 = active motion
reflex irritability (apgar)
0 = no response 1 = grimace 2 = cry, withdrawal
color (apgar)
0 = blue or pale
1 = body pink, extremities blue
2 = completely pink
** acrocyanosis is normal in the newborn for the first few days **
pulmonary adaptation
The fetal lungs secrete lung fluid throughout pregnancy
Production of lung fluid diminishes 2 to 4 days before the onset of spontaneously occurring labor
Induced labor → infant may not have diminished lung fluid
80 to 100 mL remain in the passageway of a full-term newborn
During labor and birth, fetal chest is compressed and this squeezes part of the fluid out “vaginal squeeze”
This fluid must be expelled or absorbed after delivery
This fluid can often be heard in the lungs at delivery as fine crackles
Infants who have difficulty clearing the fluid are at risk to develop a respiratory complication called transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN)
Retained fluid in the alveoli of the lungs
C-section: at greater risk for TTN b/c there is no vaginal squeeze
Compression of chest → recoil chest → mechanically triggers respiration
Increase in alveolar PO2 opens alveolar blood vessels → increases vascular flow
Initiation of respirations
** explain image **
What is the normal O2 sat for a newborn in the first minute of life?
65%
Goes up 5% every minute for the first 5 minutes
goes up 90-95% at 10 minutes
Does vaginal or c-section birth have the greatest risk for TTN (TRANSIENT TACHYPNEA OF THE NEW BORN)
c-section because there is no vaginal squeeze
What is the first breath
inspiratory gap!
triggered by increased PCO2 and decrease in pH and PO2 receptors
What triggers the brain’s respiratory center?
changes trigger aortic and carotid chemoreceptors
what types of hormonal stimuli occur?
prostaglandins are released by the placenta throughout pregnancy and suppress respiration
with the clamping of the cord prostaglandin levels drop and there is an increase in respiratory drive
Mechanical stimuli
Natural result of a normal vaginal birth is the “vaginal or thoracic squeeze” released at the delivery of the chest allowing for lung expansion
What can happen when there is a significant decrease in environmental temp after birth
Stimulates skin nerve endings
Newborn responds with rhythmic respiration
Why do we avoid excessive cooling of the infant?
excessive cooling of the infant may lead to profound depression of respiration as the result of “cold stress”
sensory stimuli during intrauterine life
Dark
Sound dampened
Fluid-filled environment
Weightless
sensory stimuli newborn experiences at delivery
Light
Sounds
Effects of gravity
Abundance of tactile, auditory, and visual stimuli of birth
respirations
Normal newborn respiratory rate: 30 to 60 breaths per minute
Initial respirations may be mainly diaphragmatic shallow and irregular depth and rhythm
Respiratory rate may increase with crying
It is important to count respirations with a stethoscope in the newborn for a full minute
Periodic breathing is common especially in the first few hours of life. It consists of pauses lasting from 5-15 seconds
Pauses of longer than 20 seconds are apnea- always need additional assessment
signs of respiratory distress (7 signs)
increased/decreases respiratory rate <30->60 seconds
Flaring of nares
Expiratory grunting
Primary respiratory issue for newborns is potential for alveoli to collapse
Try to keep alveoli inflated → close off epiglottis as it exhales to maintain surface tension in the lung
Retractions
Use accessory muscles to assist in respiration
Color changes
Circumoral cyanosis- general cyanosis
Circumoral cyanosis- cyanosis around the mouth- normal bc tissue is so thin and vascular
General cyanosis (in the trunk) is not normal
See-saw breathing
Alternating effort between abdomen and chest