It is no news to anyone that newborns need much more care and attention to their health than older children, as they are still very fragile and have a less mature immune system. Therefore, knowing the baby’s significant exams and the necessary consultations are essential.
With the proper pace of evaluations and visits to the doctor, you considerably reduce the chances that something more serious will happen, giving the time to those who are so delicate to develop fully. Check out the following content and learn a little more about it.
Foot test
Most likely, the best known of the baby’s top exams is the test of the little foot. It is quite simple to do, and as its name implies, it consists of collecting just a few drops of blood from one of the child’s feet, more precisely in the heel region, 48 hours after birth, the first week of life requires great care.
With the test, several metabolic disorders, including hypothyroidism, cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell disease, can be evaluated. If a problem is identified, referral to the specialist can be done early, which dramatically increases the chances of a better prognosis.
Test of the little eye
Eyesight is a hugely important sense for the human being and, logically, it could not be left out in the initial assessment of any child. The eye test, therefore, serves to check for any more severe ophthalmological changes, such as congenital cataract or the presence of some tumor.
The procedure is quite simple. In it, the doctor directs a beam of light into the baby’s eyes, which should show a red reflection in the pupils, indicating that eye health is smooth. It is recommended that it be performed a few days after birth, still within the maternity ward.
Test of the ear
Already the analysis of the ear is done to evaluate another essential sense: the hearing. The evaluation aims to track new cases of severe deafness. The doctor uses a small device similar to a headset, which emits a specific sound. The baby should respond spontaneously to the stimulus, indicating that all is well.
Heart Test
The heart test is essential and is used to detect early heart disease, which may be of genetic origin. It is done most often when the baby is only 24 hours old, using a device placed on the right hand and the child’s left foot, measuring the concentration of oxygen in the blood.
Language test
Another of the baby’s top exams is the tongue test. If the child has a problem or anatomical alteration that compromises the feeding, the pediatrician can do a small procedure, called frenotomy.
These are the baby’s top exams, which should be done early, preferably days after birth. Talk to your doctor and ask all your questions, remembering that it is this professional that determines the frequency of consultations, according to the health and needs of the child!
Did you like to know the main exams of the baby? Want to take care of your children’s health?
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