As the first squall of a newborn fills the air, nurses move forward as the directing hands that arrange the delicate concord of care and support, accompanying these precious lives into a world of accountabilities through their expert nursing management. Nursing management of the newborn is essential to providing inclusive care during the early stages of life. It entails a range of accountabilities focused on fostering the baby’s and their family’s health and well-being. One of the main aims of nursing management is to ensure a smooth transition from intrauterine to gestation life (Bedwell et al., 2019). This involves conducting thorough evaluations to recognize possible risks or complications like respiratory distress or hypoglycemia and promptly executing suitable interventions. In addition, nurses play a vital role in facilitating parent-infant bonding and fostering lactating initiation and support. They offer education and directions to parents on newborn care, involving feeding methods, hygiene practices, and safe sleep practices. Moreover, nursing management involves observing vital signs, monitoring for signs of infection or jaundice, and partnering with the healthcare team to create personalized care plans for each newborn. By offering compassionate and knowledgeable care, nursing professionals contribute crucially to newborns’ overall health and development to ensure a solid foundation for a healthy future. This essay will explore a case study on an LGA baby boy who was born at 37 weeks gestation, and from the case study, the paper will describe what a routine head-to-toe assessment would be for an infant born at 37 weeks gestation, the type of test to be used to determine this gestation age, the scale used to determine the Apgar score, and if the baby’s scores are standard, the immunizations that would be required, the discharge instructions that would be pertinent to this mother, and education for the family.
A normal head-to-toe assessment for an infant born at 37 weeks of pregnancy would entail a thorough evaluation of the baby’s physical and physiological well-being. The evaluation would mainly examine the baby’s vital signs, like heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, and blood pressure (Qais Saadoon & Qais Saadoon, 2018). The nurse would then continue inspecting the baby’s head, looking for abnormalities like cranial deformities or scalp status. The nurse would also evaluate the fontanels, and the soft spots on the baby’s skull, ensuring they are appropriately developed and not sunken or bulging. Heading down, the nurse would examine the baby’s face, observing for symmetry and any signs of abnormalities. The nurse would monitor the baby’s skin color, checking for jaundice or any other noticeable discoloration. Next, the nurse would assess the baby’s eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, evaluating any signs of disorder or congenital abnormalities. The nurse would continue to examine the baby’s neck, chest, and abdomen, communicating for any masses or abnormalities. The nurse would assess the baby’s extremities, looking for a suitable range of motion and the presence of all fingers and toes. Finally, the nurse would thoroughly evaluate the baby’s genitalia, involving examining the circumcision site if suitable. The nurse closely monitored the baby’s behavior and response to stimuli throughout the assessment.
The test mainly used to determine infant gestational age is termed the Ballard Score or Ballard Examination. The Ballard Score is an inclusive evaluation tool combing physical and neuromuscular features to estimate the gestational age of a newborn (Torres et al., 2019). It entails assessing the baby’s external physical characteristics like skin texture, lanugo, ear cartilage, breast growth, and genitalia, as well as examining neuromuscular maturity by evaluating posture, square window, arm recoil, popliteal angle, and heel-to-ear extension. The results of the Ballard Score are then compared to a standardized scoring system to estimate the baby’s gestational age. This evaluation is vital in determining if the baby is developmentally suitable for their expected due date and assists in guiding the care and interventions offered to support their growth and development.
The Apgar score is a quick evaluation tool used to assess a newborn’s physical condition and overall well-being immediately after birth. It consists of five components, including heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, reflex irritability, and color. E
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