Newborn

Details

Title

Newborn

Type

Stage Two

Module code

HLS135

Requirement

Compulsory

Module objective

By the end of the training period trainees will, in respect of competencies in the clinical biochemistry of the newborn, be able to:

• analyse, synthesise, evaluate and apply knowledge
• perform a range of technical and clinical skills and procedures
• demonstrate the attitudes and behaviours necessary for professional practice as a consultant clinical scientist dealing with the complexities, uncertainties and tensions of professional practice at this level.

Knowledge and understanding

By the end of the training period the trainee will be able to demonstrate the ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesise relevant knowledge and its application to their professional practice in relation to:

• the normal physiology and biochemistry of neonatal development
• the normal fluid balance of the neonate and the biochemical disturbances associated with dehydration and overhydration
• the causes, investigation, diagnosis, monitoring and management of conditions such as jaundice, hypoglycaemia, liver disease, hypomagnesaemia, hyperammonaemia, disturbances of calcium and phosphate homeostasis, diseases of prematurity and metabolic bone disease
• the principles, practice and rationale for sweat testing in the context of suspected cystic fibrosis
• the nutritional requirements of the neonate
• the nutritional assessment of the neonate
• the causes, investigation, diagnosis, monitoring and management of nutritional disorders of the neonate
• the key principles and criteria for establishing effective neonatal screening programmes and the current UK provision of neonatal screening such as phenylketonuria, congenital hypothyroidism, diabetes and congenital liver disease.

Technical and clinical skills

By the end of the training period the trainee will be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of current relevant research, theory and knowledge and its application to the performance of the following technical procedures and laboratory skills:

• the technical aspects of investigation of neonatal diseases
• the results of laboratory investigations of biochemical tests in normal neonates
• the results of laboratory investigations of biochemical tests in neonatal diseases
• the statistical and ethical issues surrounding neonatal screening
• the results of laboratory investigations derived from neonatal screening
• the technical aspects of the sweat test
• the results of the sweat test.

By the end of the training period trainees will, in respect of the competencies in the clinical biochemistry of the newborn, be able to perform the clinical skills necessary to manage under supervision:

• appropriate specimen collection, specimen handling, investigation, diagnosis, interpretation and monitoring of biochemical tests in diseases of neonates such as jaundice, hypoglycaemia, liver disease, hypomagnesaemia, hyperammonaemia, diseases of prematurity, disturbances of calcium and phosphate homeostasis, metabolic bone disease, sweat tests and nutritional disturbances
• effective neonatal screening programmes
• appropriate application, role and outcome of the sweat test
• nutritional assessment and monitoring in neonatal diseases
• the potential for the development of neonatal diseases based on triggers of unusual patterns of results
• the principles and outcomes of effective neonatal screening programmes