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Testing at birth

At soon as your baby enters the world, she is tested for certain medical conditions. A lot of these conditions can be treated if they are caught early enough.

The first test that they will perform on your baby is the Apgar test. There are five things the doctors check: heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, color, and reflex irratability. The score is determined one and five minutes after birth. If yuor baby does not score at least a seven, then the test is repeated every five minutes until your baby reachs a score of seven. This system was made for fullterm infants, not premmies. Babies born prematurely will frequently get a low score.

A hearing test is also performed before you take your baby home. This is a simple test that takes only a few minutes and can generally tell whether your baby can hear or not.

A test for PKU (phenylketonuria) and low thyroif function will be done. All state require this to be done. Blood will be taken from your baby's heal at birth and will be sent off to a lab. The results will then be passed on to your doctor. This test should be repeated at your child's first doctor appointment.

Features of a healthy newborn

In the center of your child's head is a 'soft spot'. This is where the skull bones haven't joined together yet. This 'soft spot' allows the baby's head to be flexible during the process of birth. This will eventually grow together as your child grows but for now it allows room for your baby's brain to grow.

Sometimes, newborns develop dark red patches on the baby's eyelids, bridge of the nose, or back of the neck. This is common although nobody is sure what causes it. But they almost always fade by the child's first birthday.

The umblical cord is still attached and will be left there until it falls off. This usually happens between 5-10 days after birth and reveals your baby's belly button.

If you have a girl, don't be surprised if you notice her bleeding from her vagina. And boys and girls may leak a few drops of milk at birth. These two things are completely normal and caused by the mother's hormones.

What to expect from your newborn

Your child has four main reflexes that you will soon notice.

Moro or 'startle' reflex-You may notice your child throwing her hands and legs out and extending her neck. This occurs when your baby hears a loud noise or when her head moves suddenly. She may sometimes cry when this happens.

Rooting reflex-This is how your baby finds her bottle or your breast. If you gentle stroke her cheek, you will notice her turn to your finger. That is the rooting reflex.

Grasp reflex-If you press anything against your baby's palm, she will grab onto it. This reflex won't fade for five to six months.

Stepping reflex-Hold your newborn upright under her arms with her feet on the floor, her feet will start a stepping action. Even though one would believe this is preparing your baby to walk, it will fade months before those first steps happen.