1. Did you learn how to examine a newborn?
2. What surprised you or caught your attention about the exam?
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12 comments:
In the newborn nursery, we watched as the doctors performed their rounds. They went through a standard examination with each newborn. First, they checked the newborns eyes to determine if the baby might have a retina blastoma (cancer in their eyes). Then the physician listened to the heart and examined the abdomen. Lastly, the attending did a hip exam which looked rather painful but determined if the head of the femur was correctly located in the acetabulum.
Yes! I really enjoyed seeing the examinations! That was something I could see myself doing, finding the problem and teaching and learning from it rather than going in with a scalpel. They checked the infants' eyes, skin, genitals, and hips for abnormalities and examined the complications of the birth and tried to think of any defects the birth conditions could have caused. I was surprised by the regimentation of it, but I suppose with newborns you can't really do things in a way that would best suit each one. I would not want to wake them or push so hard on their legs/hips. I was surprised by how common the Mongolian spots were, the many teenage births and births from rape victims also surprised me.
In the newborn nursery, we learned much about how the examination is administered and what each test proved checked for in the newborns. It was interesting to learn about each aspect of the examination and how each affects the well-being of the small child. I was surprised to see the doctor's attention to and examination of the hip rotation and functionality.
It was very interesting to observe the newborn examinations, and to see the hierarchy of medical teaching in action. The interactions between the attending, the residents, and the medical student not only consisted of dialog on the part of the attending, but also the testing of the younger doctors' knowledge. During the examinations, I was very surprised with the amount of pressure put on the hip joints and the variations between different doctors' guidelines regarding when to discharge a newborn.
Just as Rachel and Chris said, the doctors in the nursery checked for any abnormalities by checking the babies' eyes for any type of cancer, putting some kind of force on their hips to see if the legs were correctly placed, listening to the heart, and checking their genitals for any other types of abnormalities. I loved how Dr. Scholer was teaching both us and the residents, especially when he pointed to a particular resident and asked him a medical question concerning a particular newborn. Just as Chris said, I was also surprised at how many teenage births there were.
When applying for the program, I mentioned several times how I either wanted to work with babies or young children. The nursery rounds game me a great glimpse into what a possible career might be. I think the babies yesterday were fascinating, and there were so many variables that each might or might not have. However, I was suprised how much the babies could handle. Laying there, they looked so small-almost doll like. But during the hip exam the doctor applied a lot of weight but it didn't hurt the baby.
Seeing the newborn nursery was really interesting and watching the interactions between the attending doctor and the residents seemed stimulating. One of the most shocking parts of that experience was watching the exam that they did on the babies to ensure that the head of the femur attached correctly to the pelvis. To me, the test seemed painful and the force that the doctor put on the babies’ legs seemed like it would be enough to break them (I flinched every time he pressed on their legs).
Seeing the newborns was great. I really enjoyed seeing how residents are trained. It was interesting to see that the attending posed questions as if he did not know the answers. The examination was not that extensive, but the hip-check was carried out with a great deal of force.
I was suprised how rough the exam seemed to come off being. Perhaps when I think of a child I think of being very careful and tip-toe-ing around is why it was so startling and alarming for me. I really thought it was interresting, though, listening to some of the abnormalities that could go wrong within the first few days or weeks of birth. It was very much a learning experience for me to watch the examination. And though I probably sound like a broken record saying it, I think it was fascinating to see the amount of pressure the residents are put under during their rotation.
I loved being able to go on the rounds with the physician as he gave each of the newborns their first "check up." Yet I was surprised for the things he was checking for- it wasnt just the simple height and weight type of check up, but he had to fully examine the child for any type of markers of things that could be potentially life changing defects. It made me aware of the many things that can go wrong during a pregnancy or birth and I can better appreciate a fully healthy baby.
I was absent for this part of the day, as well (wellness!), but the group watched doctors do their rounds and examine the newborn.
Having seen a newborn examine prior, what really surprised me was the hip exam because that looks like it would hurt. A lot.
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