In the practice of neonatal medicine, as our technological capabilities as a group have advanced, our physical diagnostic skills have retreated. This malady is not unique to neonatal medicine. Training a group of excellent pediatric diagnosticians whose skills are supplemented by the current capabilities of medical technology is an urgent need for our subspecialty.
This 533-page text is divided into 4 sections, "General," "Head and Neck," "The Trunk Region," and "Neuroskeletal Evaluation." In addition to comprehensive coverage of the physical examination in the "General" section, additional emphasis is placed in the appropriate chapters on specific maneuvers used to assess individual organ systems, always with a stress on doing these maneuvers with no additional equipment or with equipment that should be available in any hospital that cares for newborns.