The human newborn is called a newborn if it is less than 28 days old. (Potter, Perry, Ross-Kerr, & Wood, 2009, p. 333) During this critical period the infant primarily goes through reflex changes that lead to deep bonds and attachments between parents and the infant during the first 28 days. The newborn I worked with was 18 days old, male, Muslim, called MK and lived in a townhouse with his parents. During the birth the family requested as many female staff as possible for religious reasons. Physical Changes After meeting MK, which I found difficult due to the way I was holding him and the lack of a maternal scent, I did an Apgar scale assessment along with a physical assessment to the best of my ability. MK's weight was approximately 180 ounces and he was 58 cm long with a head circumference of 33 cm. I asked about patterns of weight gain or loss that parents had noticed. They told me nothing significant, just a slight weight loss a few days after giving birth then a constant weight gain. This can be attributed to fluid losses due to breathing, urination, defecation and poor fluid intake. (Potter, Perry, Ross-Kerr, & Wood, 2009, p. 333) I also noticed that MK used his abdominal muscles to breathe at approximately 40 breaths per minute. His heart rate was approximately 130 bpm. Her skin was a beautiful pink color; however, his parents said he was a little yellow right after birth for a few days. This phenomenon can be attributed to excess bilirubin and immaturity of the liver. MK received a 10 on the Apgar scale which measures heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, reflexes/irritability and body color. I subsequently tested for the presence of innate reflexes including: Mo...... middle of paper...... the clues to his survival as I observed with MK and the deep bond that was present between him and his parents. Works Cited Potter, P., Perry, A., Ross-Kerr, J., & Wood, M. (2009). Canadian Fundamentals of Nursing Fourth Edition. Toronto, ON: Elsevier CanadaWeiss, R. Your Newborn's Reflexes - Caring for Your New Baby. On About.com. Retrieved February 24, 2010, from http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/newborns/a/aa061801a.htm.Umberto de Vonderweid, Marialisa Leonessa, Family-Centered Newborn Care, Early Human Development, Volume 85, Number 10, Supplement 1, Proceedings and abstracts selected from the 1st International Congress of Clinical Neonatology Turin, Italy, November 2009, October 2009, pages S37-S38, ISSN 0378-3782, DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2009.08.009.(http:/ /www .sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6T65-4XFXSTD-1/2/77dea0b0bcb26c5faf4cbd5cda1ca17b)