Foundations Practical - Neonatal
Newborn Infant
- Some essential systems come online, others continue to develop.
The neonatal period is about the transition from an interuterine placenta and maternally supported life to life to relatively independent life in the external environment.
In developing a broad understanding of the neonatal period you need to think about the two different environments and the effects of loss of placental support. Also remember that substantial postnatal development still has to occur postnatally in the musculoskeletal, nervous and immune systems.
Birth
The median duration of gestation for first births from assumed ovulation to delivery was 274 days (just over 39 weeks). For multiple births, the median duration of pregnancy was 269 days (38.4 weeks).
Newborn Homoeostasis
The newborn has to establish:
- lung function
- circulatory changes
- thermoregulation
- endocrine function
- nutrition
- gastrointestinal tract function
- waste
- kidney function
Australian Birth
Now briefly consider the current Australian trends in birth and the new reproductive technologies available.
Maternal Changes
- Puerperium - six weeks following birth, maternal reproductive organs and physiology return to pre-pregnancy state.
- Involution - process of tissue catabolism of uterus.
- Lochia - uterine (placental) discharge, blood plus mucous, continues for about 4 weeks.
- Mammary - glandular development and function.
Newborn Brain Changes
Complex and ongoing processes of neurological development continue postnatally, this can be seen at the basic level of overall brain weight.
Foundations Practical: Introduction | Week 1 and 2 | Week 3 and 4 | Week 1 to 8 | Week 9 to 36 | Neonatal | Critical Periods | Additional Resources | Quiz
Glossary: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Numbers
Cite this page: Hill, M.A. (2024, June 14) Embryology Foundations Practical - Neonatal. Retrieved from https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Foundations_Practical_-_Neonatal
- © Dr Mark Hill 2024, UNSW Embryology ISBN: 978 0 7334 2609 4 - UNSW CRICOS Provider Code No. 00098G