If you have your baby in hospital, a paediatrician or possibly even a midwife will give your baby a thorough check-up & examination before you leave the hospital to go home.

In the event you have a home birth, your GP (sometimes midwife) will visit you at home to examine your baby. The doctor or midwife should explain to you what he is doing at every stage of the examination.

Newborn Baby Checks

The checks that will be done include:

Measuring his weight, length and head circumference again

Examining his skull to check the position of his skull bones

Asking whether he or she has had dirty and wet nappies

Observing his face and neck for any outward signs of abnormalities

Listening to his heartbeat

Listening to his breathing

Feeling his pulse

Feeling inside his mouth to see if he has a cleft palate

Checking his fingers and palms

Gently feeling his abdomen to check the size of his kidneys, liver and spleen

Feeling along his spine for any abnormalities or defects

Checking his feet and ankles

Examining a girl's labia to check that they are not joined together

Examining a boy's testicles to make sure they have both descended

The last test is to check the baby's hips. The doctor will do this by gently bending your baby's knees up to his chest and by rotating his legs slightly.

Doctors tend to leave the 'hip' test till last as most babies have a tendency to cry when this is done. Sometimes the doctor will notice a slight clicking sound, which shows that the ball of bone at the top of the leg is not sitting properly in the socket joint. If this is left unattended it could cause a limp when the baby begins to walk. The treatment for this is usually simple enough; a body splint can be worn for a few weeks. Very rarely, an operation may be needed.

What is The Apgar Score?

October 2011

Share This...

The Guthrie Test

What is the Apgar Score?

Newborn Baby

Low Birth Weight

Baby Reflexes

Jo Tantum Offers Support to New Parents

Top Breastfeeding Tips

Introduction to our Breast Feeding Section

Dr Penny Stanway, Our Breastfeeding Expert

Feeding Support for You and Your Baby

Breastfeeding Cafes

more....

Baby

Our Pick of Baby Massage Oils

Your Baby & Music

Preparing for a Baby Checklist

Best Beginnings for Premature and Sick Babies

Baby Archive

more....

Popular...

Latest Articles

Welsh Cakes and Flapjacks

The Best Welsh Cake Recipe Ever!

Sex and Pregnancy

A loving physical relationship is important for your wellbeing during pregnancy, and sexual intercourse can actually help your body to prepare for labour.

Body Doubles

I'm loving the fact that beauty companies are cottoning on to the fact that we want more from our pampering pound these days.

Mother of Twins Invents Bumpband

A full time busy mother of twin boys and wife of DJ Graeme Park, Jennifer has come up with a revolutionary and ingenious idea called 'Bumpband' which she feels is going to change the way pregnant women dress in the future.