Neonate timeline

[tvolo]

I am trying to put everything together for my first clinical tomorrow at 6am for newborn assessment. I am more of a visual learner and am having a hard time orgainizing everything. Does anyone have a timeline for what happens in the first few days in the hospital like bowel movements, what tests should be done, what vitals should be on a particular day or hour, wet diapers, etc. I keep doing a search but it only comes up the first few days at home with mom.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

Well, since early discharge has become the norm, most babies aren't in hospital more than one day or so. You can check the newborn assessment database form for whether the baby has voided and passed meconium. They typically don't make much urine in the first few days and if they're breastfed they're only getting colostrum in very small amounts so there's not a lot to work with. Feeding does stimulate the gastrocolic reflex so there might be mec after every feed, which might be every two or three hours. Neonatal vital signs don't change dramatically in the first few days of life. HR 120-160, RR 30-60 and likely irregular, mean BP around 40 (although there usually isn't a need for monitoring BP in neonates unless they have heart defects), temp 36.5 to 37 C, O2 sats >93%. Other assessments will be individualized for each baby's particular case. The newborn metabolic screen is done after the baby has had at least one milk feed. But like I said, most healthy newborns are in their homes by Day 2.