During the first day of life, newborns should have a comprehensive examination. Wait until 1 or 2 hours after a feeding, when the baby is most responsive, and ask the parents to remain in the room. See Techniques of Examination for details on examining newborns and infants.

Observe the undressed newborn. Note the newborn's color, size, body proportions, nutritional status, and posture, as well as respirations and movements of the head and extremities. Most normal, full-term newborns lie in a symmetric position, with the limbs semiflexed and the legs partially abducted at the hip.

Note the baby's spontaneous motor activity with flexion and extension alternating between the arms and legs. The fingers are usually flexed in a tight fist, but may extend in slow athetoid posturing movements. You will observe brief tremors of the body and extremities during vigorous crying, and even at rest.

Studies by Dr. T. Berry Brazelton and others have demonstrated the wide range of abilities in newborns which are described below.Parents will be delighted by these abilities.

What a Newborn Can Do

Core Elements

● Newborns use all five senses. For example, they will look at human faces and turn to a parent's voice.

● Newborns are unique individuals. Marked differences exist in temperaments, personality, behavior, and learning.

● Newborns interact dynamically with caregivers—a two-way street! 

Examples of Complex Newborn Behavior

Habituation:   Ability to selectively and progressively shut out negative stimuli (e.g., a repetitive sound)

Attachment:   A reciprocal, dynamic process of interacting and bonding with the caregiver

State regulation:   Ability to modulate the level of arousal in response to different degrees of stimulation (e.g., self-consoling)

Perception:   Ability to regard faces, turn to voices, quiet in presence of singing, track colorful objects, respond to touch, and 

recognize familiar scents

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