The Newborn Assessment (Coursera)

The Newborn Assessment (Coursera)

In your previous course, you learned some medical interventions and skills to keep newborns healthy in the days and weeks after they have been born. In this course, you will learn what some additional skills that medical providers do to keep babies healthy. The Newborn Assessment Course will walk you through the physical examination from head to toe. You are going to learn that this is so much we can discover just by looking at a baby.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

And yes, we will be listening too, and discussing how medical equipment, such as a stethoscope or a pulse oximeter, can help in your exam. You will begin to be able to distinguish some normal findings from some abnormal findings.
A newborn baby is an amazing beautiful life filled with hope. There is so much that goes into making sure that babies are born healthy, and so much more to think about after they are born. Whether you are in the health care field, or even a parent, this course is the perfect educational opportunity for you to keep newborn babies healthy in the days and weeks after they are born!

Course 2 of 5 in the Newborn Baby Care Specialization.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Newborn Exam: Assessment from Head to Toe
In all of the modules up until this one, we have discussed abnormalities or illnesses of newborns. In order to understand and recognize what is not normal, it is worthwhile to be clear on what is normal. In this module, Dr. Kohn will demonstrate how to examine a very well newborn. Aside from the obvious size differences and the unbelievable cuteness of newborns relative to adults, there are the influences of fetal development and transition that impact the newborn exam. Keep in mind that your exam may be the first physical evaluation that this baby has in its life!

WEEK 2
Ensure heart health
Our task as providers of health care to newborns is to detect which of the many seemingly well babies has an underlying health care problem that needs to be addressed. Previously, we reviewed the screening method that we use to look for critical congenital heart disease. In this module, we will cover the surveillance technique, that is, the physical findings that should make us suspect a newborn might have congenital heart disease.

WEEK 3
Ensure lung health
In this module, we will first identify normal components of the respiratory exam. We will use this information to recognize “abnormal” respiratory exams in newborns, meaning recognition of physical exam findings consistent with respiratory distress. Then, we will use the information we learned about the respiratory exam to work through a case of a newborn with respiratory distress

WEEK 4
Diagnose common illnesses in the first month
Nearly 41% of children who die under the age of 5 are less than 28 days old. The first month of life is a particularly vulnerable time for these little ones. In this module, you will learn some signs or symptoms that are concerning in newborns in the first month of life, and that need medical attention. You will also learn some common findings that are concerning to parents, but not concerning medically. Those are conditions for which reassurance and/or watchful waiting is appropriate. Distinguishing between concerning and benign conditions will help you ensure the safety and health of newborn babies!

WEEK 5
Assess a neonate for common skin concerns
In this module, we will learn all about newborn skin. This module will cover the basic terminology to describe different skin conditions and will help you recognize the most common newborn rashes and lesions that present in the first month of life. This is also where we will cover a few of the “must not miss” skin diagnoses that require further management by a dermatologist or medical professional.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Weight Management: Beyond Balancing Calories (Coursera) Coursera
Emory University

Weight Management: Beyond Balancing Calories (Coursera)

Across the globe, more people are suffering from obesity than at any other time in our history. Why has obesity become so common and so challenging? In this course, we will look at the root cause of obesity, as explained by the latest science. We will see how our food environment has evolved over the last half-century, and how it is altering our biology to over-consume calories and resist sustained weight loss.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Confronting Gender Based Violence: Global Lessons for Healthcare Workers (Coursera) Coursera
Johns Hopkins University

Confronting Gender Based Violence: Global Lessons for Healthcare Workers (Coursera)

This course introduces participants from the healthcare sector to gender based violence (GBV), including global epidemiology of GBV; health outcomes; seminal research; and clinical best practices for GBV prevention, support, and management. A core curriculum is supplemented by lectures that contextualize the content with specific examples and programs from around the world.

Aug 17th 2026
4 Weeks
HPV-Associated Oral and Throat Cancer: What You Need to Know (Coursera) Coursera
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

HPV-Associated Oral and Throat Cancer: What You Need to Know (Coursera)

This course, offered by the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is designed to inform primary care physicians and otolaryngologists (general and head and neck surgeons), as well as medical students, residents, nurses, physician assistants, medical assistants, about HPV-associated oral and throat cancers. It is also applicable to individuals who wish to broaden their knowledge and vernacular about this disease process, especially those who may have been diagnosed with HPV and/or HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancers.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
How Music Can Change Your Life (Coursera) Coursera
University of Melbourne

How Music Can Change Your Life (Coursera)

Did you ever wonder how music works? This course provides free video, audio and journal resources that explain six basic principles about how music can influence individual and community health and wellbeing. From biology and neuroscience, to psychotherapy and politics, the ways we engage with music can make all the difference. Music has always played an integral role in the lives of individuals and communities all around the globe.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative (Coursera) Coursera
Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative (Coursera)

Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care.

Aug 17th 2026
13-24 Weeks
A Life of Happiness and Fulfillment (Coursera) Coursera
Indian School of Business - ISB

A Life of Happiness and Fulfillment (Coursera)

What are the determinants of a happy and fulfilling life? This is surely one of life’s biggest questions, and a question that has interested many of our ancestors. Buddha famously gave up his kingdom in search of happiness. Several Greek philosophers (from Aristotle to Epicurus and Plato to Socrates) had their own views on what it takes to be happy. And of course, we all have our own theories about happiness too.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
The Brain and Space (Coursera) Coursera
Duke University

The Brain and Space (Coursera)

This course is about how the brain creates our sense of spatial location from a variety of sensory and motor sources, and how this spatial sense in turn shapes our cognitive abilities. Knowing where things are is effortless. But “under the hood,” your brain must figure out even the simplest of details about the world around you and your position in it.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Medical Neuroscience (Coursera) Coursera
Duke University

Medical Neuroscience (Coursera)

Medical Neuroscience explores the functional organization and neurophysiology of the human central nervous system, while providing a neurobiological framework for understanding human behavior. In this course, you will discover the organization of the neural systems in the brain and spinal cord that mediate sensation, motivate bodily action, and integrate sensorimotor signals with memory, emotion and related faculties of cognition. The overall goal of this course is to provide the foundation for understanding the impairments of sensation, action and cognition that accompany injury, disease or dysfunction in the central nervous system. The course will build upon knowledge acquired through prior studies of cell and molecular biology, general physiology and human anatomy, as we focus primarily on the central nervous system.

Aug 17th 2026
13-24 Weeks
Business Models for Innovative Care for Older People (Coursera) Coursera
University of Copenhagen,Copenhagen Business School

Business Models for Innovative Care for Older People (Coursera)

This course will introduce you to healthcare innovation within the field of healthy living and active aging. By following two specific cases on diabetes and rehabilitation, this interdisciplinary course will provide you with key theories, tools and concepts for analyzing and developing viable innovative solutions for aging populations. The lectures will cover demographic, biological, economic, social and cultural aspects of active aging and healthy living, along with lectures on current innovation theories and methods.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Medical Cannabis for Pain Control (Coursera) Coursera
Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

Medical Cannabis for Pain Control (Coursera)

Cannabis is a group of flowering plants that has been long used for industrial, recreational and medical purposes. When relating to its medical use, the terms "Medical Cannabis" or "Medical marijuana" has become prevalent. In this course we will use the term "Medical Cannabis". Nowadays, Medical Cannabis involves multiple medical disciplines such as neuroscience, pain, pharmacology, oncology, psychiatry and more. Moreover, it has cultural, agricultural and social, legal and political implications.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Preventing Chronic Pain: A Human Systems Approach (Coursera) Coursera
University of Minnesota

Preventing Chronic Pain: A Human Systems Approach (Coursera)

Chronic pain is at epidemic levels and has become the highest-cost condition in health care. This course uses both creative and experiential learning to better understand chronic pain conditions and how they can be prevented through self-management in our cognitive, behavioral, physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and environmental realms.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Psychology of Popularity (Coursera) Coursera
University of North Carolina

Psychology of Popularity (Coursera)

The level of popularity you experienced in childhood and adolescence is still affecting you today in ways that you may not even realize. Learn about how psychologists study popularity and how these same concepts can be used in adulthood to be more successful at work, become better parents, and have a happier life.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks