Newborn Assessment, Care & Complications: Apgar, Reflexes, and Neonatal Emergencies | Chapter 26 from Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-PN Examination (7th Edition)

Newborn Assessment, Care & Complications: Apgar, Reflexes, and Neonatal Emergencies | Chapter 26 from Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-PN Examination (7th Edition)

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Welcome to Chapter 26 of the Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-PN Examination (7th Edition) by Linda Anne Silvestri and Angela E. Silvestri. This chapter provides a thorough, evidence-based approach to newborn assessment, essential care, and the management of both common and high-risk neonatal complications. Whether you’re preparing for the NCLEX-PN or building real-world expertise, these topics are foundational for every practical nurse working with infants and their families.

Watch the complete video summary below, and subscribe to Last Minute Lecture for essential newborn care demonstrations, NCLEX-PN study walkthroughs, and emergency neonatal scenarios:

Immediate Newborn Assessment and Care

  • Apgar Scoring: Evaluation at 1 and 5 minutes—heart rate, respiration, muscle tone, reflex irritability, color.
  • Vital Signs and Physical Exam: Temperature, pulse, respiratory rate, skin color, head and fontanel assessment, cord status, and developmental anomalies.
  • Thermoregulation: Prevention of cold stress using radiant warmers, hats, and proper swaddling.
  • Ensuring airway patency, safe identification, and infection prevention from birth.

Normal Reflexes and Routine Screening

  • Assessment of newborn reflexes: rooting, Moro, Babinski, palmar and plantar grasp, tonic neck, startle.
  • Routine screening: PKU, bilirubin levels, glucose, hematologic panels.
  • Umbilical cord care and recognition of infection signs.
  • Early initiation of breastfeeding, safe bottle feeding, and monitoring for adequate nutrition and hydration.

Newborn Safety and Infection Control

  • Infant identification protocols and abduction prevention measures.
  • Infection control practices in the nursery and client teaching for parents.

Common Neonatal Complications and Nursing Interventions

  • Respiratory Disorders: Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), meconium aspiration, transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).
  • Metabolic & GI Disorders: Hypoglycemia, hypothermia, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), hyperbilirubinemia, hypothyroidism.
  • Sepsis and Infection: Risk factors, assessment findings, and interventions for neonatal sepsis, thrush, and TORCH infections.
  • Substance Exposure & Hemolytic Disorders: Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), erythroblastosis fetalis, HIV-exposed infants.
  • Management of high-risk infants: preterm, post-term, SGA, LGA—assessment, feeding, and supportive care.
  • Phototherapy for jaundice and safe care for infants with hyperbilirubinemia.
  • RhoGAM administration for prevention of Rh incompatibility complications.

Emergency Neonatal Care: CPR and Choking

  • Infant CPR sequence and nursing priorities during neonatal resuscitation.
  • Interventions for choking in infants—recognition and emergency response steps.

For more newborn care scenarios and NCLEX-style practice, watch the video above and subscribe to Last Minute Lecture for ongoing neonatal nursing updates and test-taking tips!

Conclusion: Foundations for Safe Newborn Nursing Care

Chapter 26 of Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-PN Examination (7th Edition) equips you to confidently assess, intervene, and educate during the critical newborn period. Mastering these protocols ensures safe outcomes and empowers you to provide the highest level of care for infants and their families—on the NCLEX and beyond.

If you found this breakdown helpful, subscribe to Last Minute Lecture for more NCLEX-PN newborn assessment tutorials, high-yield study guides, and evidence-based care tips.

If you found this breakdown helpful, be sure to subscribe to Last Minute Lecture for more chapter-by-chapter textbook summaries and academic study guides.

Explore the full YouTube playlist for Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-PN Examination (7th Edition) here: Complete Playlist

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