{"id":12114,"date":"2021-03-01T20:15:56","date_gmt":"2021-03-02T02:15:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=12114"},"modified":"2023-03-14T13:37:34","modified_gmt":"2023-03-14T18:37:34","slug":"what-to-expect-from-newborn-screening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/what-to-expect-from-newborn-screening\/","title":{"rendered":"What happens to babies after birth?"},"content":{"rendered":"

After your baby is born, one of the first orders of business is to make sure they have come through the stressful birthing experience safely.<\/p>\n

There are examinations conducted starting at minute one. They are performed at most birthing facilities by a pediatric nurse in the delivery room whose sole job is caring for your baby while another nurse in the room is charged with caring for the mother.<\/p>\n

There are more tests to follow in the coming day or so as part of the standard newborn screening. It\u2019s all part of making sure your baby is off to a healthy start and potential health issues are identified, if possible.<\/p>\n

The Apgar scale<\/h2>\n

Starting at the one-minute mark and again at five minutes after birth, the pediatric nurse will give your newborn a score from zero to 10. Each of the five components is rated from zero to two, with two being the best rating.<\/p>\n

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  1. Color: Low blood sugar can make your baby appear more blue than normal.<\/li>\n
  2. Heart rate: Is the little ticker ticking at a strong and healthy newborn heart rate?<\/li>\n
  3. Reflexes: Do the baby\u2019s reflexes respond to stimulation?<\/li>\n
  4. Muscle tone: Has the baby developed the appropriate muscle mass while exercising in the womb?<\/li>\n
  5. Respiration: Is the baby breathing properly?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The five ratings are combined to create the Apgar score. If your newborn scores less than seven, the Apgar examination will be done every five minutes for 20 minutes.<\/p>\n

    Low blood sugar in newborns is common immediately after birth. For many, they begin recovering their healthy blood glucose level quickly. And if your baby\u2019s liver isn\u2019t strong enough, yet, to process all the bilirubin in their body, the high bilirubin level can give their skin and eyes a yellow coloring.<\/p>\n

    The Apgar scale, developed by a doctor in 1952, is used to measure the immediate health status of the newborn. However, it doesn\u2019t predict the future health of the child.<\/p>\n

    Next step: newborn screening<\/h2>\n

    One or two days after being born, your child will receive a newborn screening tests. This special exam for infants includes a hearing screening, heart screening and genetic screening.<\/p>\n

    \u201cOur goal is to identify babies with genetic diseases so we can intervene and save these babies from serious health problems and potentially death,\u201d said Robyn Lindenmeyer, director of Women\u2019s and Children\u2019s Health at OSF HealthCare.<\/p>\n

    Hearing screening<\/h1>\n

    To check for hearing loss, the baby’s nurse places small earphones in your baby’s ears to check how your child responds to sound.<\/p>\n

    Heart screening<\/h1>\n

    Your baby’s health provider uses a pulse oximeter machine and sensors on the skin to check how much oxygen is in your child’s blood. This screening is used to identify congenital heart defects.<\/p>\n

    Genetic screening<\/h1>\n

    Also called a newborn metabolic screening, genetic screening can help detect:<\/p>\n