Behavioral assessment of the Navajo newborn
Creators: name: Nisselius, Judith Kay
Publisher: name: University of Utah
Year: 2012
Subjects: Navajo
New Mexico
Newborn Behavioral Scales

description: With the growing interest in study and documentation of the behavioral responses of the newborn as found both individually and in isolated homogeneous groups (Freedman, 1974; Brazelton, 1972; Brazelton, et al, 1969), the investigator carried out a comparison study of behavioral responses demonstrated between three previously examined Navajo samples by Freedman which were treated as one sample in this study and a Navajo sample examined in the Shiprock area.  The study was carried out to corroborate the generalizations concerning behavioral differences Freedman found between the Navajo samples and similarly examined Caucasoid samples.  Validation of such differences are crucial in planning meaningful approaches to care of newborn populations by nurses and other health care professionals from other cultures who may have based their expectations of newborn behaviors of the said population upon their own culturally related experiences.  Thirty-six Navajo newborns were examined between September 7 and September 29, 1975 at the USPHS Indian Hospital, Shiprock, New Mexico using the Cambridge Newborn Behavioral and Neurologic Scales developed by Brazelton and Freedman.  The infants were 38 to 42 weeks by clinical gestational age as established by the Lubchenco gestational age scale; they were without illness as indicated by the hospital records; and they were Navajo by criteria of having four Navajo grandparents. They were tested at about 4 8 hours of age or older.  The samples were generally comparable with a few exceptions.  The Shiprock sample tended to be some hours older than the Freedman sample when examined. The Shiprock sample appeared to support the generalizations concerning a steady, calm temperament that Freedman had previously documented,  even though there were differences noted in this category of behaviors.  The Shiprock sample exhibited a greater habituation or block out of external stimuli and greater defensive movements against the cloth placed over the nose than did the Freedman sample. The Freedman sample seemed to utilize more self-quieting measures than did the Shiprock sample.  The Shiprock sample tended to display more social interest and responsiveness toward the examiner with a greater response to the examiner's face and voice combined. The Shiprock sample also appeared to be more alert in their responses to the examiner than did the Freedman sample. However, the Freedman sample did exhibit a greater number of smiles toward the examiner than did the Shiprock sample.  There were two differences between the groups noted concerning the motor development of the Navajo newborn. The Shiprock sample were inclined to be less tense, in terms of general tonus, and they exhibited a greater tonus of the lower extremities.  The Freedman sample tended to demonstrate a greater autonomic and central nervous system immaturity than did the Shiprock sample.  They seemed to exhibit a greater lability of skin color, a greater amount of tremulousness, and a greater amount of mouthing activity than did the Shiprock sample.  The latter may not be directly related to the seeming immaturity of the Freedman group, but may be indicative of the time of examination in relationship to the time of feeding and the lack of control of this variable. There were a number of differences noted between the two groups concerning the neurological test items.  Generally, the Freedman sample were inclined to demonstrate a greater exhibition of the neurologic items.  A possible explanation for this occurrence may be that Freedman's group was younger by clinical gestational age since a number of the signs indicative of immaturity were demonstrated butthe gestational information was not available from the Freedman sample. In conclusion, there were numerous similarities in behaviors exhibited between the two samples but with the noted differences and lack of control of certain variables, it would seem that generalizations concerning behavior expected of the Navajo newborn population, cannot be made without further investigation.