Assessing Social Interactions of a Newborn

The ability to assess the social interactions of a newborn is an important skill for anyone involved in neonatal care.  Abnormal responses may be the first signs of illness.  Normal social responsiveness includes eye opening, facial expression changes, and the ability to visually focus on a face at close range.  Within minutes of birth, alert newborns should be able to visually connect.  An open-eyed infant who seems to be staring blankly into space is concerning.  In this video, Dr. Bhutani demonstrates his technique for evaluating the social interactions of a newborn.