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From Apgar to Vitamin K
Tests and Procedures for Your Newborn Baby
By Melissa Granberry
I Can Hear You!
Your newborn's hearing will be screened before leaving the hospital by evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOAE) or auditory brainstem response (ABR). "Both screenings are safe, painless and take approximately five minutes," says Dr. Kaye. "If a child fails the initial screenings, it does not necessarily mean hearing problems." Further testing may show that your baby's hearing is fine. However, parents should also be aware that there are certain types of hearing loss missed by the initial screening test. "Observation by parents and pediatrician is important," says Dr. Kaye.
Billy Who?
Bilirubin is a byproduct of the breakdown of red blood cells. When you have too much bilirubin in your blood, your skin and whites of your eyes turn yellow. Newborns tend to be susceptible to this condition because their livers are not mature enough to process the bilirubin properly. "Jaundice peaks at three to five days after birth," says Dr. Kaye. If you are leaving the hospital within 48 hours, ask your pediatrician if the baby should be seen in a few days to check for jaundice.
Newborn Screening
Though the newborn screening (also known as the PKU test) sounds simple enough – just a little blood from the baby'sheel – your baby will think otherwise. The doctor or nurse performing the test will need to fill in several blanks with blood samples, so the test takes a few minutes. The test screens for certain genetic or inherited diseases that are hard to detect without the blood test. "Treatments for these conditions are more effective if started early," says Dr. Kaye.
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