When the newborn comes into the world, it is necessary perform a series of medical tests to check that the child's health is correct. Some of them are performed just after birth, in the same delivery room, but others will come after the first hours. Ignorance can cause you to go through some agonizing moments, simply because you don't know what each test is done for.
Therefore, we want to explain to you step by step, what are the tests to be performed on your baby. In this way you will be prepared when the time comes, and thus you will avoid suffering more than necessary. Since in all probability, the dance of hormones that you will suffer as soon as your child is born, added to the fatigue and waiting, can cause you to have a hard time with its consequent displeasure.
Today skin-to-skin is widely promoted. Therefore, as long as the delivery is carried out normally and the baby comes without complications, the first check-ups of your baby will be carried out while you hold him in your arms. The first thing will be to cut the umbilical cord, it is always waited for it to stop beating before clamping and subsequent cutting.
Apgar test
This exam performed on all babies at the minute of birth, they will repeat again after 5 minutes. In this way the obtained values are compared. With the Apgar test, 5 general aspects related to the health of the newborn are evaluated.
- Color that the baby has, it must be a shade of pink
- Heart rate, the baby is found to have more than 100 beats per minute
- The breathing, the baby cries and breathes correctly
- Checking the muscular tone, the legs and arms are bent
- The reflections
The Apgar test is performed twice, because the baby's conditioning to the world outside the womb happens little by little. The normal thing is that in the first exam, the values appear quite low and that once the 5 minutes have passed, in the second sample they are much higher values.
Identification and measurements
Then proceed to identify your baby's fingerprints and a series of measurements will be taken. Your head size and circumference will be weighed and measured, all of which are normal measurements. They will also proceed to clean the baby, without removing the layer of fat that protects the baby's skin. You will be given vitamin K, which helps blood clotting, and eye drops to protect your eyes from possible infections.
Once your labor is over, when the placenta is removed and the necessary care is carried out, since you may need stitches for tear or episiotomy, you will spend some time in a room with your baby. During this time it is administered through a special lamp that emits artificial light, heat the baby so that it does not lose temperature body and give it a good dose of vitamin D.
Heel test
After about 48 hours, the well-known heel test will be carried out. This test consists of a blood draw directly from the newborn's heel. With this sample, more than 20 metabolic diseases can be diagnosed. The baby may need a second extraction, this time it will be done on the 5th day of birth. If that second sample is needed, they will call you by phone to let you know, do not panic because it is completely common.
Audiometric exam
An audiometric test will also be performed on your baby, it is performed during the hospital stay 24 or 48 hours after birth. With this test you can detect if the baby hears well without promptingThat is, through established levels, a hearing deficit can be detected.
For all these tests to be correctly recorded, it is important that you bring all the documentation that you have accumulated throughout your pregnancy. Take with you all the information that the doctors who treat you may need, ultrasounds, analytics and your pregnancy card. The hospital will provide you with the newborn's card, where from that moment on, all your evaluations will be recorded.