ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the examination of the newborn, which is based on the framework of the neurological examination of older infants and children but is supplemented and modified significantly for adaptation to the newborn. Head circumference is a useful measure of intracranial volume and therefore also of brain volume and cerebrospinal fluid volume. The general level of alertness is one of the most sensitive indices of global neurological function. It is dependent on the integrity of several levels of the central nervous system. Visual fixation can be identified by 32 weeks gestation and increases over the next 4 weeks. The sensory component of the trigeminal nerve is best tested by pinprick. The resulting facial grimace begins on the stimulated side of the face. The most important features of the motor examination of the neonate and young infant are muscle tone, posture of the limbs, motility and muscle power, and the tendon reflexes and plantar response.
