What is a newborn baby like, and what care and checks does it need in its first days?
The appearance and characteristics of a newborn baby, the reflexes present at birth, the checks carried out including the Apgar score, postnatal care of mother and baby, and the equipment needed.
A focused CCEA GCSE Child Development answer on the appearance and reflexes of a newborn baby, the checks carried out including the Apgar score, postnatal care of mother and baby, and the equipment needed.
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What this dot point is asking
CCEA wants you to describe what a newborn baby looks like and can do, the reflexes present at birth, the checks carried out (including the Apgar score), the postnatal care of mother and baby, and the equipment a newborn needs. This topic bridges birth and the start of a baby's development.
What a newborn baby is like
A newborn can already cry (its way of communicating), suck and grip, but it depends completely on its carers for everything. The fontanelles let the skull flex during birth and allow for brain growth; they close over the first months and year.
Reflexes present at birth
Newborn reflexes include:
- the sucking reflex (sucking anything placed in the mouth, for feeding),
- the rooting reflex (turning the head towards a touch on the cheek, to find the nipple),
- the grasping reflex (gripping a finger placed in the palm),
- the startle (Moro) reflex (flinging out the arms in response to a sudden noise or movement), and
- the stepping (walking) reflex (making stepping movements when held upright with the feet on a surface).
These reflexes are checked because they show the nervous system is working.
Checks carried out at birth
Soon after birth the baby is given an Apgar score at one minute and five minutes, scoring heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflexes and skin colour out of 10. The baby is also weighed and measured, and within a few days has a newborn physical examination (checking eyes, heart, hips and, in boys, the testes) and a heel-prick (blood spot) test to screen for certain conditions.
Postnatal care
The mother is helped to recover, with support for feeding, checks on her healing and wellbeing (including emotional health, as some women experience the baby blues or postnatal depression), and advice on caring for the baby. The baby is monitored for feeding, weight gain and general health by the midwife and then the health visitor.
Equipment for a newborn
Essential items include a cot or Moses basket with suitable bedding, a car seat (needed to take the baby home safely), nappies, clothing and a means of feeding (bottles and steriliser, or feeding equipment for the mother). Safety and suitability matter more than expense.
Examples in context
- Example 1. A reassuring Apgar score
- A baby is born and scores 9 at one minute and 10 at five minutes, showing it is breathing well, pink and active. The midwife reassures the parents the baby is healthy. This illustrates the purpose of the Apgar score, the point CCEA asks you to explain.
- Example 2. Supporting a newborn's head
- New parents are shown how to pick up and hold their baby, always supporting the head and neck because the baby cannot do this itself. This shows applying knowledge of a newborn's characteristics to safe care.
- Example 3. Spotting postnatal depression
- A few weeks after the birth, a mother feels persistently low and tearful. The health visitor recognises possible postnatal depression and arranges support. This shows why postnatal care covers the mother's emotional health, not only the baby.
Try this
Q1. What is the soft spot on a newborn's head called? [1 mark]
- Cue. A fontanelle.
Q2. Name two reflexes present in a newborn baby. [2 marks]
- Cue. Any two of: sucking, rooting, grasping, startle (Moro), stepping (walking).
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
CCEA Unit 1 style5 marksDescribe the appearance and characteristics of a newborn baby.Show worked answer →
Up to five marks for describing several features of a newborn.
A newborn weighs roughly 3 to 3.5 kg on average and is about 50 cm long.
The head is large in proportion to the body, with two soft spots (fontanelles) where the skull bones have not yet joined.
The skin may be wrinkled, blotchy or covered in a white greasy coating (vernix), and there may be fine body hair (lanugo).
A newborn sleeps for much of the day, can grip, suck and cry, but cannot support its own head.
Markers reward any accurate features: weight, length, large head, fontanelles, vernix, lanugo, sleeping, reflexes, and inability to hold up the head.
CCEA Unit 1 style4 marksWhat is the Apgar score, and what does it check?Show worked answer →
Up to four marks for explaining the test and what it measures.
The Apgar score is a quick check of a newborn's health, carried out at one minute and again at five minutes after birth.
It scores five things: heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflexes (response to stimulation) and skin colour.
Each is given 0, 1 or 2, giving a total out of 10. A higher score shows the baby is doing well; a low score means the baby may need help.
Markers reward the timing, the idea of scoring five signs out of 10, and that it checks how well the baby is coping after birth.
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