Essentials of Newborn Care for Individual Professionals

• Describe the responsibilities of the nurse assigned to care for the newborn at the time of delivery.
• Identify normal bonding behaviors displayed by the mother to her newborn.
• Describe the process for determining a newborn’s gestational age based on the findings using the New Ballard Maturational Score.
• Compare and contrast the small-for-gestational-age newborn to the large-for-gestational-age newborn.
• Identify normal findings for each component of the newborn physical assessment.
• Identify the three stages of lactogenesis.
• List the risk factors for delayed onset of lactogenesis.
• Identify the signs of adequate intake in the breastfeeding newborn.
• Describe each recommended component of newborn screening as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Identify the key points that should be taught and discussed with the newborn’s parents during discharge planning.
• Discuss characteristics and complications seen in the preterm and postterm newborn.
• Discuss signs and symptoms of a newborn experiencing respiratory complications.
• Describe nursing interventions for the newborn experiencing respiratory complications.
• Identify common neonatal cardiac disorders.
• List risk factors for neonatal hypoglycemia.
• Differentiate between physiologic jaundice and hyperbilirubinemia in the newborn.
• Describe effects of maternal drug abuse on the newborn.
• Identify signs and symptoms of infection/sepsis in the newborn.
• Describe the intrauterine physiology of the fetal respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
• Identify the transitional process of the neonatal respiratory, cardiovascular, glucose metabolism, and thermoregulatory systems.
• Describe the impact of maternal and intrapartum complications on the neonate’s successful transition to extrauterine life.
• List common problems seen during the neonatal transition to extrauterine life.

• Preparing for Delivery
• Initial Assessment of the Newborn 
  • The ‘ABCs’ of Newborn Breathing
  • Apgar Scoring
  • Assessing Vital Signs
  • Umbilical Cord Care and Cord Clamping
  • Newborn Identification
  • Eye Prophylaxis
  • Vitamin K Needs Assessment
  • Routine Assessment of Blood Glucose
  • Hepatitis B Virus Vaccine
• Promoting Maternal-Newborn Attachment
• Gestational Development Estimation
• Physical Assessment
• Newborn Feeding
• Continued Newborn Care
• Newborn Safety and Care Education for the Parents
• Circumcision
• Newborn Screening
• Critical Congenital Heart Defect (CCHD) Screening
• Discharge Planning and Teaching

• High-Risk Newborn Risk Factors
• Newborn Classification
• Respiratory Complications
• Congenital Cardiac Complications and Defects
• Hypoglycemia of the Newborn
• Jaundice in the Newborn
• Newborns of Mothers with a History of Drug Abuse
• Infection/Sepsis in the Newborn

• Respiratory System
• Circulatory system
• Glucose Metabolism
• Thermoregulation

After completing the Essentials of Newborn Care program, the learner can complete the post test to test their knowledge of the program. After successful completion of the post test, a printable certificate of competition is available immediately and an emailed certificate is sent by email automatically.