The Rourke Baby Record is a

pediatric Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until the ...

record widely used in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, and provides practice

guidelines A guideline is a statement by which to determine a course of action. A guideline aims to streamline particular processes according to a set routine or sound practice. Guidelines may be issued by and used by any organization (governmental or pri ...

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

s for the care of Canadian neonates,

infants An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...

and

toddlers A toddler is a child approximately 12 to 36 months old, though definitions vary. The toddler years are a time of great cognitive, emotional and social development. The word is derived from "to toddle", which means to walk unsteadily, like a child ...

. "The Rourke", as it is called among Canadian family physicians and pediatricians, is published by the Canadian Pediatric Society, and is intended for general use with patients ages 0–5 years. It enables clinicians charged with the care of newborns to track development and physical exam data in a standardized and nationally recognized framework from birth onwards, as well as

nutrition Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficient ...

immunization Immunization, or immunisation, is the process by which an individual's immune system becomes fortified against an infectious agent (known as the immunogen). When this system is exposed to molecules that are foreign to the body, called ''non-se ...

status and other milestones. Because of its centrality to the care of infants in Canada, the Rourke guide is retained with the child's chart and establishes a record of proper care. As such it is also a medicolegal document.

History

*First published in 1979

Original Authors

*Dr. Leslie Rourke MD, CCFP, MClinSc(FM), FCFP, FRRMS *Dr. James Rourke MD, CCFP(EM), MClinSc(FM), FCFP, FRRMS, LLD

Versions

A national Canadian version and version specific to

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

are published

Recommendations

Screening Intervals

The record is split into four guides focusing on different

screening Screening may refer to: * Screening cultures, a type a medical test that is done to find an infection * Screening (economics), a strategy of combating adverse selection (includes sorting resumes to select employees) * Screening (environmental), a ...

periods by age: *Guide I: 1 week, 2 weeks (optional), 1 month *Guide II: 2 months, 4 months, 6 months *Guide III: 9 months, 12 months, 15 months *Guide IV: 18 months, 2–3 years, 4–5 years

References

External links

Rourke Baby Record
Pediatrics in Canada {{Pediatrics-stub