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After having gone through a long 9 months of prenatal care , feeding care, tests to monitor fetal development, it was time to meet the little person who took sighs from the family before he was even seen. It is not because everything went ok in the exams during pregnancy, that the baby is free to undergo some procedures. Tests are required on all newborns after delivery to detect possible diseases or genetic problems .
Mandatory Exams
It really hurts the heart, to imagine and see that little baby already undergoing procedures with needles, but it really is indispensable. Tests on newborns after mandatory delivery are:
- Foot test
- Blood typing
- Ear test
- Eye test
- Heart test
- Hip test
Increasingly broad and detailed, examinations in newborns after delivery are able to diagnose diseases that would take months or perhaps years to show symptoms early, but that already compromise the baby’s health in the first months of life.
Foot test
The heel test is performed using a sample collected from the baby’s heel. The collection must take place in the period after 48 hours until one week of life after birth and the analysis is done in the laboratory. It is a totally free exam and can be done at the maternity hospital before discharge or at the health center closest to your residence.
Through this small sample, it is possible to detect 6 types of diseases : congenital hypothyroidism, sickle cell anemia , phenylketonuria, adrenal hyperplasia, cystic fibrosis and biotinidase deficiency. The collection is performed through drops of the baby’s blood placed on a paper filter and sent for verification by the neonatal screening laboratory. The collection receives the identification data of the mother and all her contact details, in addition to the place where the collection was carried out.
If the result occurs any change, the family and the collection site are communicated by the laboratory and new tests to confirm the diseases are requested. The heel prick test itself is free, but if the parents choose to carry out the extended prick test, SUS does not perform it and the value depends a lot on the region where they live. The expanded test detects in addition to the 6 diseases of the common plus 30 types of diseases.
Blood Typing
The test that detects the baby’s blood typing and determines whether it is A, B, AB and O in addition to its positive or negative RH factor is performed using the sample collected for the heel prick test. Blood typing information is necessary to determine prompt care in the event of medical emergencies and to analyze blood compatibility with the mother.
Ear Test
The newborn hearing screening test popularly known as the ear test is a mandatory newborn examination after delivery that aims to detect hearing problems in the baby. The exam is performed free of charge by the SUS network and also in maternity hospitals.
Its performance should preferably occur within 24 to 48 hours after delivery, but it can extend up to 1 month of birth. Through the exam it is possible to diagnose hearing problems as well as to detect even the slightest degree of deafness. The procedure takes place with the help of a device that is placed in the baby’s ear. If any changes are found, they are referred for evaluation by an otorhinolaryngologist who will analyze the condition and indicate the correct treatment.
Eye Test
The red reflex test or eye test as it is better known is also part of the mandatory and free examinations of the SUS and health plans. Its purpose is to diagnose vision problems early, such as cataracts, strabismus and glaucomas. It is usually performed in the maternity ward before discharge, but it can be performed during the first consultation of the pediatrician, preferably in the first week of life.
It is customary to repeat the eye test in other consultations with the pediatrician, at 4, 6, 12 and completing 24 months. It is a way to prevent and reduce the chances of childhood blindness. Even though it is a mandatory exam for all babies, it is particularly suitable for babies born with microcephaly or born to women who had Zika virus during pregnancy, where the highest rates of babies with vision problems are found.
The test is painless and fast! Through a device that projects a light into the baby’s eyes, it is possible by coloring to detect possible problems. If the light turns red, orange or yellow, it means that the eyes are completely healthy. If reflected in whitish tones, an evaluation by an ophthalmologist is requested.
Heart Test
Even though the name is specific to the heart, the test is performed using a blood sample collected from the baby’s leg or leg. It is part of the mandatory tests on newborns after delivery and is completely free. It must be done in the maternity ward within 24 to 48 hours of life and the levels of oxygen found in the baby’s blood are identified.
If a low oxygen level is found through the collected sample or if a large difference is detected in the samples, it is possible that the baby will have heart problems and further tests will be necessary to confirm the diagnosis.
Hip Test
The hip test is a mandatory exam in the SUS and maternity hospitals network in only a few states, however it can be requested by the doctor and the maternities. The examination is performed by moving the legs in order to detect dysplasia of the hip development. This problem is responsible for causing severe pain, shortening of limbs and osteoarthritis.
IMPORTANT:
All mandatory examinations are extremely important in the life of the newborn baby. Since it is possible to detect diseases without symptoms and that cause serious damage if not treated in time.
In addition to all the tests mentioned above that are extremely important to detect possible diseases prematurely, we cannot forget the importance of childhood vaccination . In the first months of life, the baby receives a specific vaccine in each specific period that protects him from different diseases.
See also: First Consultation at the Pediatrician – How to Choose the Doctor?
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
