ABSTRACT
The additional elements performed during this full examination must only be undertaken by a fully trained and qualified newborn and infant physical examination (NIPE) practitioner – either a midwife or a paediatrician. Much of the examination overlaps with the routine checks performed at birth and over the subsequent postnatal visits, but this screening is more detailed. The key principles of the NIPE are: to inform the parents about what to expect and any findings, to refer any deviations from the normal and provide a follow-up plan, to obtain consent, to document detailed findings, to conduct the tests when the baby’s condition permits where a baby is premature, and to gather a complete history (e.g. obstetric history, type of birth, medications, etc.). The timeframes are recommended where a baby screens positive for any conditions: eye screen positive, heart screen positive, hip screen positive, hip risk factors, bilateral undescended testes, and unilateral undescended testis.
