Short answer: Maternal and newborn nursing for the DHA exam centres on spotting danger early: pre-eclampsia in pregnancy, bleeding after birth, and a newborn who is not adapting. Learn the warning signs, the first action for each and the Apgar score, then practise short scenarios. Confirm exact content areas in the current DHA guideline.
Maternal and newborn nursing for the DHA exam: scope
Sources report maternal, newborn and paediatric nursing as a content area for nurses. We could not confirm its weight, so treat the list below as a revision map. The earlier maternal and child health guide gives four study blocks. This page goes deeper on the danger signs.
Meddex is independent and is not connected to the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) or Prometric.
This is exam-preparation revision, not clinical guidance. In practice, follow your own organisation’s policies and the current guideline, and check doses and thresholds against them.
Pre-eclampsia
Pre-eclampsia is new high blood pressure after about 20 weeks of pregnancy, usually with protein in the urine or signs of organ involvement. Warning signs include a severe headache, visual disturbance, upper abdominal pain, sudden swelling and brisk reflexes. First actions: report promptly, check blood pressure again and monitor closely.
Magnesium sulphate is the standard medicine to prevent and treat seizures. While it runs, watch respiratory rate, reflexes and urine output. Loss of reflexes and slow breathing suggest toxicity, and calcium gluconate is the antidote. Check your local policy for the thresholds.
Bleeding after birth
Postpartum haemorrhage means heavy bleeding after delivery. The commonest cause is a uterus that has not contracted. First actions: call for help, rub up a contraction by massaging the fundus, check that the bladder is empty, record blood loss and watch for shock. Rising heart rate and falling blood pressure are late signs, so act on the trend. Use SBAR when you call.
The Apgar score
Apgar is scored at one and five minutes. It rates appearance (colour), pulse, grimace (reflex response), activity (muscle tone) and respiration. Each scores 0, 1 or 2, giving a total from 0 to 10. At five minutes, a score of 7 to 10 is generally read as reassuring, 4 to 6 as moderate and 0 to 3 as low. A heart rate under 100 scores 1.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics state that the score does not decide whether to start resuscitation, which begins without waiting for it. A low score at five minutes calls for continued support and re-scoring.
The normal newborn on day one
Commonly taught ranges are a breathing rate of 30 to 60 a minute and a heart rate of about 110 to 160, though units use their own charts. Core care:
- Keep the baby warm, with skin-to-skin contact, dry hats and wraps.
- Support early and frequent feeding.
- Offer vitamin K as your unit’s policy directs.
- Keep the cord stump clean and dry.
- Check two identifiers and security tags every time the baby moves.
Newborn danger signs
Report grunting, flaring nostrils or blue colour, floppy tone, poor feeding, a low or unstable temperature and jaundice in the first 24 hours. Jaundice in the first day is not treated as normal. Low blood glucose is a risk for babies who feed poorly or are small. Escalate early and record your observations.
Example: a postnatal call
Example, written by Meddex. A woman on day two after birth reports a hot, swollen, painful calf. She needs prompt medical review for a possible clot, not massage or a walk. The pattern is the same one you meet in the prioritisation guide: a new, serious sign calls for assessment and escalation.
Communication and consent
Mothers need clear, respectful teaching on feeding, safe sleep and warning signs to report at home. Cultural and religious preferences deserve respect when they do not conflict with safety. Document what you taught.
Other maternal topics that appear often
A woman who is Rh negative and has a baby who is Rh positive is offered anti-D immunoglobulin, to prevent the formation of antibodies that could affect a later pregnancy. Gestational diabetes calls for blood glucose monitoring and diet advice, and the newborn may need glucose checks. Postnatal warning signs to teach include heavy bleeding, fever, foul-smelling discharge, a painful swollen calf and a low mood that does not lift. Report a low mood early, because postnatal depression is common and treatable.
You may see this area written as midwifery questions for nurses, obstetric nursing or newborn assessment questions. Link each one to a first action and a reason.
Related guide
For the four-block overview that also covers child health, see maternal and child health revision.
Frequently asked questions
This article is general educational guidance, not official advice. Exam rules, fees and timelines are set by the Dubai Health Authority and the test provider and can change, so always confirm the latest details on their official channels.
Last updated .