You've counted ten beautiful fingers and toes. Your baby is perfect! But once in a while, a perfect-looking baby has hidden health problems. Before your baby leaves the hospital, she will have a few tests and treatments to make sure that she is healthy and to help her stay that way.
Apgar score: At 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth, a doctor or nurse will check your baby for five things—heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflexes and skin color—and give each a score of 0 to 2. The scores are added up, and the total is referred to as the Apgar score. Babies who have an Apgar score of 7 or more are likely to have come through delivery with flying colors and are in good condition. Those with lower scores may need some additional watching or special care, though most will do fine.
Vitamin K shot: Your baby will receive a shot of vitamin K immediately after birth. This protects your baby from a rare, serious bleeding problem that can affect newborns. Newborns lack the ability to make vitamin K, which is needed for blood clotting, for a few days after birth.
Eye drops: Your baby's eyes will be treated with medicated drops or ointment. This protects your baby's eyes from bacterial infections, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, which can be contracted during delivery.
Newborn screening tests: Your baby's heel will be pricked to obtain a few drops of blood. This blood sample will be used to screen for inborn errors of body chemistry. These birth defects may have no immediate visible effects on a baby, but, unless detected and treated early, they can cause physical problems, mental retardation and, in some cases, death. Most babies receive a clean bill of health.
Currently all states screen babies for phenylketonuria (PKU) and hypothyroidism, both of which can cause mental retardation and can be prevented with early treatment. States also screen for a number of additional disorders. The March of Dimes recommends all babies be screened for at least 29 disorders.
Your baby most likely will receive a clean bill of health after her first tests. But for the few babies who have abnormal test results, early diagnosis and proper treatment can make the difference between healthy development and lifelong problems.
Hearing test: Your baby may have a hearing test. The test measures how the baby responds to sounds using either a tiny soft earphone or a microphone that is placed in the baby's ear. Without testing, hearing loss often is not diagnosed until a child is about 2 to 3 years old, by which time the child often has developed speech and language problems. Early treatment helps to prevent these problems. The March of Dimes recommends that all babies receive hearing screening as newborns.
Complete physical: Your baby will have a head-to-toe check-up within the first day of life. A pediatrician will listen to her heart and lungs, feel her tummy, and check her eyes, nose, mouth, head, arms and legs.
Hepatitis B vaccine: Your baby probably will have her first hepatitis B shot. She will receive two additional hepatitis B shots by 18 months of age. This vaccination protects your baby against this virus, which can cause serious liver damage.
