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Home / Newborn feeding and jaundice
Child health — complete topic guide

Newborn feeding and jaundice

Turn this presentation into an 11-minute OSCE performance: focused assessment, prioritized differential, targeted examination and investigations, immediate management, communication, disposition and safety-netting.

What you must demonstrate

  • Observe before touching
  • Age-specific vital-sign interpretation
  • Hydration and work-of-breathing assessment
  • Communicate with child and caregiver
  • Weight-based safe planning
Do not miss: Toxic appearance · Non-blanching rash · Apnea or cyanosis · Poor perfusion · Altered consciousness · Safeguarding concern

11-minute performance map

0:00–0:45

1. Opening and immediate safety

Introduce yourself, confirm identity, explain the task, obtain consent and identify instability before routine questioning.

0:45–4:30

2. Focused assessment

Clarify onset, progression, severity, associated features, discriminating positives/negatives and the most relevant background risks.

4:30–6:30

3. Targeted examination

Perform only the examination maneuvers needed to assess severity, confirm localization and discriminate the leading diagnoses.

6:30–7:30

4. Synthesize

Give a one-sentence summary, leading diagnosis and two to four prioritized alternatives including the dangerous diagnosis you cannot miss.

7:30–8:40

5. Investigations

Choose tests that answer a specific diagnostic or safety question; state urgent tests first.

8:40–10:15

6. Immediate management

Treat instability, begin syndrome-specific care, consult early when needed and define disposition.

10:15–11:00

7. Communication and safety net

Explain the plan, check understanding, address concerns and state exact deterioration/return criteria.

Focused history prompts

Define the presentation

  • Onset, chronology, triggers and progression.
  • Severity and effect on function.
  • Associated symptoms that support the leading diagnosis.
  • Relevant negatives that reduce dangerous alternatives.

Risk context

  • Relevant past medical/surgical/obstetric/psychiatric history.
  • Medications, allergies and adherence.
  • Family, social, substance, travel/exposure or safeguarding factors as applicable.
  • Patient ideas, concerns, expectations and goals.

Dangerous alternatives to prioritize

  1. Toxic appearance
  2. Non-blanching rash
  3. Apnea or cyanosis
  4. Poor perfusion
  5. Altered consciousness
  6. Safeguarding concern

Targeted investigations

Age-specific vital signs, weight and hydration/respiratory assessment

Bedside glucose when altered/unwell

Targeted blood/urine/microbiology testing based on age and syndrome

Imaging only when indicated, minimizing unnecessary radiation

Immediate management and disposition

  1. Treat airway, breathing, circulation, hypoglycemia and dehydration promptly.
  2. Use weight-based medication/fluid planning and age-specific thresholds.
  3. Involve caregivers while preserving adolescent confidentiality where applicable.
  4. Choose discharge only when the child is clinically safe and caregivers understand return precautions.
High-yield closing sentence: “I would reassess after the initial intervention, escalate if there is deterioration, explain the plan in plain language, confirm understanding and give specific safety-net instructions.”

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