What is a normal finding on a chest X-ray (CXR) of a neonate on the day after birth?

What is a normal finding on a chest X-ray (CXR) of a neonate on the day after birth?

• A. Opaque periphery of the lungs
• B. Complete lung expansion
• C. Prominent vascular markings
• D. Presence of atelectasis

Answer: (A)

The normal findings on a chest X-ray (CXR) of a neonate one day after birth are characterized by specific anatomical and physiological changes as the infant transitions from intrauterine to extrauterine life. While typically you might expect to see complete lung expansion, in practice, newborns may show minimal areas of atelectasis or incomplete lung expansion shortly after birth due to factors such as the process of clearing lung fluid and the establishment of effective lung inflation. Thus, while complete lung expansion is the goal, it is not uncommon for there to be some irregularities in this regard. The presence of prominent vascular markings may be noted due to the increased blood flow to the lungs post-delivery, but this can vary and is not considered a definitive normal finding in all neonates. A finding of opaque periphery of the lungs is indicative of a typical CXR in the early stages. This opacity can be attributed to the normal presence of fluid that fills the alveoli and the retained pulmonary fluid, which may not have been fully cleared immediately after birth. In contrast, the presence of atelectasis is not a normal finding in the sense that it signals areas of collapsed lung; while some atelectasis may be present in a neonate soon after

The normal findings on a chest X-ray (CXR) of a neonate one day after birth are characterized by specific anatomical and physiological changes as the infant transitions from intrauterine to extrauterine life.

While typically you might expect to see complete lung expansion, in practice, newborns may show minimal areas of atelectasis or incomplete lung expansion shortly after birth due to factors such as the process of clearing lung fluid and the establishment of effective lung inflation. Thus, while complete lung expansion is the goal, it is not uncommon for there to be some irregularities in this regard.

The presence of prominent vascular markings may be noted due to the increased blood flow to the lungs post-delivery, but this can vary and is not considered a definitive normal finding in all neonates.

A finding of opaque periphery of the lungs is indicative of a typical CXR in the early stages. This opacity can be attributed to the normal presence of fluid that fills the alveoli and the retained pulmonary fluid, which may not have been fully cleared immediately after birth. In contrast, the presence of atelectasis is not a normal finding in the sense that it signals areas of collapsed lung; while some atelectasis may be present in a neonate soon after