Infant Care
How Your Baby Works
Babies are babies, little human beings, rapidly developing their own personalities. Taking care of your new baby will be a fascinating experience. Don't worry so much over the little details, that you lose the fun of watching your baby grow and develop. You will gradually get to know your baby better and better. Remember, you will eventually be the expert on your own baby.
Variations of newborns
Once you get the baby home from the hospital, you can settle down and take a good look at what you've got. Since many of parents' first worries are about perfectly normal things, it is helpful to know in some detail what to expect.
Head: At birth, the bones of the head are not joined, therefore, the head may have a temporary change in shape, and some of the bones may even overlap. The front soft spot between the bones will vary in size and shape but it will close between eight and eighteen months. Occasionally, a difficult labor and delivery may cause swollen areas and bruises over the scalp, but these resolve in a week or so.
Eyes: Don't be surprised if your baby's eyes appear crossed from time to time. This is due to poor vision and an immature nervous system. Eyes usually are closed the majority of the first few days because of the swelling and application of antibiotic to protect from infection during the birth process. Often a baby will seem to prefer opening one eye more than the other. Occasionally small red spots will be seen on the whites of the eye due to small, ruptured blood vessels. These disappear spontaneously in a week or two. If there is drainage from the eyes after one week of age, consult your physician.
Skin: Frequently reddish birthmarks, commonly called "angel kisses" or "stork bites", will be seen on the upper eyelids, forehead, back of neck, and many other areas. These birthmarks should not concern you as they will slowly and eventually fade away. White pinhead pimples (milia) may be on the nose, chin, and cheeks, but disappear after a couple of weeks. Blotchy red areas appear on the skin (usually the trunk) during the first week, but they are of no consequence and disappear spontaneously. Frequently, an acne-like rash will appear on the cheeks and forehead between the ages of one and two months. This is "baby acne" due to an excessive amount of oil in the baby's skin. It requires no treatment and will disappear at approximately 2-3 months of age. If your baby develops "baby acne", merely wash his/her face with clear water several times a day using no soap unless advised to do so. A normal baby's skin changes color and temperature very quickly. It could be bright red, blotchy, pale, or even more red on one half of the body than the other. These conditions are normal responses to changes in the temperature, whether your baby is awake or asleep, hungry or full.
Jaundice: This condition is a common result of a newborn baby's temporary immaturity in liver function resulting in a yellow skin color. Jaundice, occurring in over half of all newborn babies, usually begins at about 3 days of age and lasts for about 1 week. Occasionally, jaundice may require treatment, but you will be advised if this is necessary. In general, you need not worry about a jaundice/yellow color unless it persists beyond one week of age.
Stools: The first stools will be sticky, black-green tar (meconium) for the first day or so and are followed by loose, greenish, transitional stools. These are followed by soft, yellow-brown, milk stools at about 3-4 days of age. Breast milk stools are usually quite loose, yellowish, and may have a green color after exposure to the air. Formula stools are usually yellow to brown and smell bad. Initially, a baby has stools with each feeding, but after a few weeks or months, the number decreases to 1-3 stools a day, and a bowel movement may even occur normally once every 3 days. If a baby 1) is not having pain and is eating well, 2) is not vomiting, 3) does not have very hard or watery stools, 4) has not had a sudden change in the stooling pattern, then there is no cause for concern, whatever the pattern, even once a week may be absolutely normal.
Feet: Due to the baby's position before birth, your baby's feet and legs may turn in or out. If they can be placed in the normal position easily, then the only treatment necessary will probably be manipulation to proper position. You will be advised if there is a problem.
Breasts and Genitalia: Breasts in both boys and girls may be swollen and contain a little liquid during the first few weeks after birth. This soon will disappear and nothing should be done about it. Do not massage, squeeze, or apply ointment to your baby's breast area. The genitals of both boys and girls often appear puffy and swollen. Commonly, baby girls have a white secretion from the vagina, sometimes with a little blood in it, for a week or two after birth. This also will resolve on its own.
Crying: Babies cry for many reasons. Crying is your baby's way of saying "I'm tired", "I'm wet", "I want to be held", "I'm too hot", "I'm hungry", etc. Many babies go through unexplainable, fussy periods each day as they adjust to living in the world. Don't worry about spoiling a tiny baby by pampering it. He/She needs to know you are there to meet his/her needs. You can soothe your baby by:
- Giving your baby something to suck, such as a pacifier
- Lengthening feeding times
- Giving your baby more physical contact and movement, (walking , rocking, or patting)
- Taking the baby for a ride in the stroller or car
- Wrapping him/her snugly in a blanket
- Raising the temperature of the room a little if you think it's too cool
- Changing his/her position (e.g. move your baby from his/her back to his/her stomach or vice versa)
Crying after feedings is usually caused by swallowed air and may be relieved simply by burping the baby. Crying itself does not physically hurt a healthy baby. Recent studies have clearly demonstrated that babies have different temperaments and personalities. The three basic types of babies are "the difficult baby", ‘the calm baby", and "the quiet baby". All types are normal. If your baby has prolonged crying periods, he/she may fall into "the difficult baby" category. Gradually, you will learn what your baby is trying to tell you when he/she cries and what type of attention your baby needs.
Hiccuping, Sneezing, Nasal Congestion: All babies yawn, sneeze, hiccup, and pass gas. Some have considerable nasal mucus. Sneezing is the only way a baby can clear his/her nose. Sneezing, without any other sign of cold, such as runny nose, cough, or poor appetite, should cause you no alarm. For the first few months, infants prefer to breathe through their noses, rather than through their mouths, so it is important to keep the nasal passages clean. Use a nasal bulb suction, with or without saline drops, such as Ocean Mist or Ayr to help remove the mucus from the baby's nose. Saline solution may be made by dissolving 1/4 teaspoon of table salt and one cup of water.
Hiccups are little spasms of the diaphragm muscles. Many babies have hiccups after feeding. Do not be alarmed, they will go away in 5-10 minutes. They usually mean your baby has had a nice, satisfying meal, and that his or her stomach is full. As he/she adjusts to this full stomach, the hiccups will stop. You can give a small amount of water to your baby, but do not feed during the hiccups.
Startling: Babies may become startled easily by a noise or a touch. This does not mean your baby is nervous or does not want to be touched. A startled reaction is due to their immature nervous system and will disappear as they develop.
