Assessment of weight and gestational age.

Many established nursery routines are in conflict with the physician's responsibility to the infant and the needs of the mother. While the first hour after birth is a crucial time for the mother and the infant to be together, it is also a time when neonatal problems can be identified and often prevented. Unless a problem is suspected immediately, this first hour of life is not the time for a thorough examination. The assessment of gestational age may be carried out later, in the nursery, when the infant's condition has stabilized and the parents have had an opportunity to view their infant.