Newborns
What Do They Look Like?
Most women who are expecting a child will fantasize about what and who their child will look like. In reality, when you first see your baby there are some physical characteristics that may be a little surprising.
A newborn’s head may seem large in proportion to the body and may have a cone-shaped appearance. This is called Molding. Molding is caused by passage through a tight birth canal. This is nothing to be concerned about since the head will return to its normal shape in a few days. The reason the head can change shape is due to fontanels. These are the so-called soft spots on a baby's head, which, during birth, enable the bony plates of the skull to flex. These open areas in the skull are covered with a tough membrane that allows the child's head to pass through the birth canal and accommodates the rapid growth of the brain. The anterior or front fontanel is diamond-shaped and normally pulsates with each beat of the heart. It usually fuses between 12 and 18 months of age. The posterior or back fontanel is smaller and triangular-shaped. It usually fuses between two and three months of age.
Your baby is likely to have some hair when it is born. It may or may not be the same as you or your partner’s hair color and may also have a different texture. This birth hair is temporary and will shed within the first month. Their permanent hair will begin to appear in the first 6 months and may be an entirely different color and texture compared to the birth hair. Some babies gradually grow in their permanent hair and some lose all of their birth hair and are temporarily bald or have patches.
The eyes of a newborn may look swollen and puffy. This can be caused by pressure on the face during delivery or the use of antiseptic eye drops. It should reduce and clear within the first three days. Their eyes may also occasionally cross due to immature eye muscles and their permanent eye color will take about six months to develop. Because they can’t focus their eyes at first and can only see approximately eight inches, you won’t experience eye contact for four to six weeks.
The ears of newborns are commonly soft and floppy. Sometimes one of the edges is folded over. The outer ear will assume normal shape as the cartilage hardens over the first few weeks. A baby’s hearing is more sensitive than yours but like adults they will react to sounds differently depending on their temperament. You will learn quickly what will and will not startle your baby. Most prefer high-pitched sounds, like the sounds all your relatives make when they first see the baby.
Sometimes a newborn’s nose can become misshapen during the birth process and may appear flattened or pushed to one side. It will resume its natural shape by one week of age. Even though the appearance of each newborn’s nose will differ all will have an issue with mucus. At first they only know how to breathe through their nose, so they may sneeze or cough to clear the mucus on their own. It is very important to keep the nasal passages clear so you may have to help clean them out if the natural mechanisms don’t work well enough The most effective options to reduce mucus are the use of saline and/or a bulb syringe.
The normal tongue in newborns has a short, tight band that connects it to the floor of the mouth. This band normally stretches with time, movement and growth. There also may be little white-colored cysts that occur along the gum line or on the hard palate. These are due to blockage of normal mucous glands from friction associated with sucking. They disappear by one to two months of age.
Newborn skin varies in appearance according to how far along your baby is at birth. Premature babies have thin, almost transparent skin that may be covered with a fine, downy hair called lanugo. You'll also see vernix, a cheesy white substance that protects a baby's delicate skin from the amniotic fluid. The farther along your pregnancy is when you deliver, the less lanugo and vernix your baby will have.
Babies of all races and ethnicities are born with reddish-purple skin that will change to pinkish-red within a day or so. The pink tint comes from the red blood vessels that are visible through your baby's still-thin skin. Because your baby's blood circulation is still maturing, his hands and feet may be bluish for a few days. Over the next six months, your baby's skin will develop its permanent color.
About 30 to 40 percent of all babies are born with milia, which are small white or yellow dots on their face that look like tiny pimples. They usually disappear within three or four weeks without any special treatment.
The legs may curve in because of the cross-legged posture your baby was confined to while in the uterus. These curves are normal and will straighten out within a week or two. Feet may also appear to be turned in strange ways because of the cramped quarters inside the womb. As long as the feet are flexible and can be easily moved to a normal position, they are normal. The direction of the feet will become more normal between six and 12 months of age.
Moms will pass along some of her hormones to the baby so the genitals and breasts of newborns often appear swollen. A little milky substance may even leak from your baby's nipples. Don't try to squeeze the liquid out – it's harmless and will dry up on its own. Girls may have a little white discharge or blood-tinged vaginal mucus. All of this will go away in the first few weeks.
It is typical for a newborn to lose ten percent of their birth weight in the first few days. After that they should be gaining a half an ounce to an ounce a day for the first six weeks.
This may all seem a little overwhelming but you will be surprised by how beautiful your newborn will be.