Final answer:
The Apgar score assesses a neonate's transition after birth looking at skin color, heart rate, reflex, muscle tone, and respiration. A low score indicates potential distress. Additional signs of abnormal transition include temperature instability, apnea, bradycardia, hypotension, difficulty feeding, and severe symptoms like seizures and stiff neck.
Step-by-step explanation:
Clinical Findings of Abnormal Transition in Neonates
When assessing a newborn's transition to life outside the womb, healthcare providers often rely on the Apgar score. This score evaluates five clinical criteria: skin color, heart rate, reflex irritability, muscle tone, and respiration. Each criterion is given a score of 0, 1, or 2, with 2 indicating the best outcome. The Apgar score is calculated at 1 minute and again at 5 minutes after birth. A high total score out of 10 suggests that the neonate is adjusting well, while lower scores can indicate distress and the potential need for medical intervention.
Additional clinical signs indicating problems in neonatal transition include temperature instability, apnea, bradycardia, hypotension, and difficulty feeding. These symptoms can be indicative of early onset disease in a neonate, and might present alongside irritability and limpness. Severe cases might progress to include seizures, bulging fontanel, stiff neck, hemiparesis, and opisthotonos. These symptoms require immediate medical attention, as they can be often fatal if left untreated.