Final answer:
The symptoms indicating newborn distress after birth are tachycardia, tachypnea, and meconium passage, which suggest fetal hypoxia and can lead to meconium aspiration. The Apgar score, which evaluates factors like respiration and heart rate, helps determine the level of distress in newborns.
Step-by-step explanation:
The set of symptoms commonly associated with newborn distress immediately after birth includes tachycardia, tachypnea, and the passage of meconium. Meconium passage signals fetal distress, often due to fetal hypoxia which can arise from various conditions such as maternal drug abuse, maternal hypertension, long labor, or placental complications. The presence of meconium is concerning because it indicates that the gastrointestinal system, which is controlled by nervous system stimuli, has been triggered by fetal distress, potentially involving a gasping reflex that significantly increases the likelihood of meconium inhalation into the fetal lungs. In addition, the Apgar score, which assesses a newborn's transition from the womb, includes criteria such as skin color, heart rate, reflex, muscle tone, and respiration; lower scores on this metric indicate a baby may be in distress.