BMJ 1999;318:1766 ( 26 June )

Letters

Role of the routine neonatal examination

    It probably makes more sense for other staff to carry out neonatal examinations
    Broader criteria should be used to evaluate the role of neonatal examination

It probably makes more sense for other staff to carry out neonatal examinations

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR---As a senior house officer in a neonatal unit with over 7000 births a year, I can confirm Hall's remarks that needless delays in the discharge of mothers and their babies occur due to heavy workload.1 My crude, hurriedly acquired examination skills often act as a front and do little to reassure me that all is well with the child I am examining. Inquiries about feeding, the behaviour of the child, and even the contents of the child's nappies give me greatest confidence in my clinical decision making.

Most valuable time during neonatal checks is spent talking about educational aspects of child care and what a new mother can expect from her child in the coming weeks. I believe that medical examination can be carried out by a midwife, with positive advantages for mother and child. The established relationship between midwife, mother, and child should be built on to . . . [Full text of this article]
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Relevant Article

The role of the routine neonatal examination
D M B Hall
BMJ 1999 318: 619-620. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Wolke, D, Dave, S, Hayes, J, Townsend, J, Tomlin, M (2002). Routine examination of the newborn and maternal satisfaction: a randomised controlled trial. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed. 86: F155-F160 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Lee, T W R, Skelton, R E, Skene, C (2001). Routine neonatal examination: effectiveness of trainee paediatrician compared with advanced neonatal nurse practitioner. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed. 85: F100-104 [Abstract] [Full text]  
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