Part 2: The cardiovascular system and congenital heart disease.

Midwives are increasingly performing the examination of the newborn. In the second of a four-part series, this article considers the importance of the cardiovascular examination in the screening process. The significance of history taking, knowledge of risk factors and auscultation of the heart will be explored. The necessity for early detection and treatment of congenital cardiac abnormalities, along with the prerequisite referral pathways that the Newborn infant physical examination (NIPE) requires will also be highlighted.