Chapter 36: Identifying the Newborn Who Requires Specialized Care

After a normal, spontaneous vaginal delivery, full-term newborns are usually assessed by the delivery room nurse, who may notify the primary care physician (PCP) if any abnormality of cardiorespiratory adaptation or any external malformation is observed. The PCP or nurse practitioner who attends a high-risk delivery typically performs a brief assessment of the newborn after birth. After this initial assessment and after reviewing the prenatal history for any fetal malformation or any genetic disorder, a decision is made whether the neonate is stable enough to remain with the mother and continue to receive couplet care or if the newborn requires...