How do newborns communicate. What reflexes do babies have in the first 8 weeks. When do babies start to recognize faces. How can parents support infant development from 0-3 months.

The Fascinating World of Newborn Communication

From the moment they enter the world, babies begin an incredible journey of growth and discovery. Despite their tiny size, newborns possess remarkable abilities to interact with their environment and communicate their needs.

Can newborns really communicate? Indeed, they can. While they may not use words, babies employ a variety of signals to express themselves:

• Crying to indicate hunger, discomfort, or fatigue
• Facial expressions that convey emotions
• Body movements and gestures
• Cooing and other vocalizations

Understanding these cues is crucial for parents and caregivers. By responding promptly and consistently to a baby’s signals, we help them develop a sense of trust and security in the world around them.

The Developing Senses: Sight and Sound in Early Infancy

Contrary to popular belief, newborns are not born with fully developed senses. Their visual and auditory systems undergo rapid changes in the first few months of life.

Visual Development

How well can newborns see? At birth, a baby’s vision is quite limited:

• They can focus best on objects 8-12 inches away – roughly the distance to a caregiver’s face during feeding
• They are drawn to high-contrast patterns, such as black and white stripes or bold geometric shapes
• Color vision is present but immature, with a preference for primary colors

By 2-3 months, significant improvements occur:

• Eye muscles strengthen, allowing for better tracking of moving objects
• Depth perception begins to develop
• Recognition of familiar faces improves

Auditory Development

Do babies hear before birth? Surprisingly, yes. The auditory system begins functioning in the womb, allowing babies to recognize familiar voices at birth. In the first three months:

• Babies startle at loud noises
• They show a preference for human voices, especially high-pitched, sing-song tones
• By 2 months, they begin to associate sounds with their sources

The Miracle of Movement: Physical Development in the First 3 Months

A newborn’s physical abilities may seem limited, but beneath the surface, remarkable changes are taking place.

Reflexes: Nature’s Building Blocks

Why do babies have reflexes? These involuntary responses serve several purposes:

• Survival: The rooting and sucking reflexes aid in feeding
• Protection: The startle reflex helps prevent falls
• Development: Many reflexes lay the groundwork for later voluntary movements

Common reflexes in the first 8 weeks include:

1. Moro (startle) reflex
2. Rooting reflex
3. Sucking reflex
4. Grasp reflex
5. Stepping reflex

Emerging Voluntary Movements

As the nervous system matures, babies gradually gain control over their bodies:

• By 1 month: Brief head control when lying on the stomach
• By 2 months: Smoother arm and leg movements, beginning to kick
• By 3 months: Improved head control, lifting chest when on stomach, swatting at objects

The Social Brain: Emotional and Cognitive Development

While physical changes are readily observable, equally important developments are occurring in a baby’s brain and emotional landscape.

Emotional Milestones

When do babies start to show emotions? From birth, infants display a range of basic emotions:

• Distress and discomfort
• Contentment
• Interest in faces and voices

By 2-3 months, we see the emergence of:

• Social smiles in response to caregivers
• Cooing and other vocalizations
• Early signs of self-soothing behaviors

Cognitive Growth

How do babies learn about their world? Through constant observation and interaction. In the first 3 months:

• They begin to recognize familiar faces and voices
• They show a preference for human faces over other visual stimuli
• They start to understand cause and effect (e.g., crying leads to being picked up)

Nurturing Development: How Parents Can Support Their Newborn

Parents play a crucial role in fostering their baby’s growth and development. Here are some effective strategies:

Creating a Stimulating Environment

• Provide high-contrast visual stimuli, such as black and white patterns or colorful mobiles
• Offer a variety of textures for tactile exploration
• Play soft music or sing to your baby
• Read aloud, even if your baby doesn’t understand the words

Promoting Physical Development

• Practice tummy time to strengthen neck and upper body muscles
• Gently move your baby’s arms and legs during diaper changes
• Hold toys slightly out of reach to encourage reaching and grasping

Fostering Emotional Bonds

• Respond promptly to your baby’s cries
• Engage in plenty of skin-to-skin contact
• Make eye contact and talk to your baby during everyday activities
• Mirror your baby’s facial expressions and vocalizations

Understanding Individual Differences in Infant Development

While developmental milestones provide a general guideline, it’s essential to remember that every baby is unique. Factors influencing individual developmental trajectories include:

• Genetics
• Prenatal environment
• Birth experiences
• Postnatal nutrition
• Environmental stimulation
• Temperament

Is it normal for babies to develop at different rates? Absolutely. Some infants may excel in motor skills while others show advanced language development. As long as a baby is making steady progress across all developmental domains, minor variations are usually no cause for concern.

When to Seek Professional Advice

While individual differences are normal, certain signs may warrant a discussion with a healthcare provider:

• Lack of response to loud noises
• No smiling by 2 months
• Inability to follow moving objects with eyes by 3 months
• Lack of head control by 3 months
• Excessive stiffness or floppiness in limbs

Remember, early intervention can make a significant difference in addressing potential developmental concerns.

The Impact of Environment on Early Brain Development

The first three months of life represent a critical period for brain development. During this time, the brain is exceptionally plastic, forming new neural connections at an astounding rate.

The Role of Sensory Experiences

How do everyday experiences shape a baby’s brain? Through a process called experience-dependent plasticity. Each interaction, whether it’s feeling a soft blanket, hearing a lullaby, or seeing a smiling face, strengthens specific neural pathways.

Key environmental factors influencing early brain development include:

• Quality of caregiver interactions
• Exposure to language
• Variety of sensory experiences
• Consistency of routines
• Emotional climate of the home

The Importance of Positive Experiences

Research has shown that positive, nurturing experiences in early infancy can have long-lasting effects on brain architecture and future learning capacity. Conversely, chronic stress or neglect can impair brain development.

Ways to promote healthy brain development:

• Engage in frequent, loving interactions
• Provide a safe, predictable environment
• Offer age-appropriate sensory stimulation
• Respond sensitively to your baby’s cues
• Prioritize your own emotional well-being as a caregiver

The Role of Sleep in Infant Development

Sleep plays a crucial role in a newborn’s growth and development. During the first three months, babies spend the majority of their time sleeping – up to 16-17 hours per day.

Sleep Patterns and Cycles

Why do newborns sleep so much? Sleep is essential for:

• Physical growth and repair
• Brain development and memory consolidation
• Emotional regulation
• Immune system function

Newborn sleep patterns are characterized by:

• Short sleep cycles (about 50-60 minutes)
• Frequent wake-ups for feeding
• A higher proportion of active (REM) sleep compared to adults

Supporting Healthy Sleep Habits

While newborns aren’t ready for strict sleep training, parents can encourage good sleep habits:

• Establish a consistent bedtime routine
• Create a sleep-friendly environment (dark, quiet, cool)
• Recognize and respond to sleep cues
• Practice safe sleep guidelines to reduce SIDS risk

Remember, every baby’s sleep needs are different. Some may sleep for longer stretches earlier than others, while some may need more frequent feedings throughout the night.

Nutrition and Growth in the First Three Months

Proper nutrition is fundamental to a baby’s growth and development during this critical period. Whether breastfed or formula-fed, infants experience rapid growth in the first three months.

Feeding Patterns and Needs

How often should newborns eat? In the early weeks, babies typically feed every 2-3 hours, around the clock. By three months, some babies may begin to stretch their feeding intervals, especially at night.

Signs of proper nutrition include:

• Steady weight gain (usually doubling birth weight by 3-4 months)
• 6-8 wet diapers per day
• Regular bowel movements
• Alertness and contentment between feedings

Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding

While both methods can provide adequate nutrition, breastfeeding offers several unique benefits:

• Custom-tailored nutrition that changes to meet the baby’s needs
• Antibodies that boost the immune system
• Potential long-term health benefits for both mother and child

However, formula feeding is a perfectly valid option and can ensure proper nutrition when breastfeeding is not possible or chosen.

Introducing Vitamin D

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends vitamin D supplementation for all breastfed infants, starting in the first few days of life. This is because breast milk alone may not provide sufficient vitamin D, which is crucial for bone development and overall health.

By understanding and supporting the various aspects of development in these crucial first three months, parents and caregivers can help lay a strong foundation for their baby’s future growth and well-being. Remember, each baby is unique, and while milestones provide helpful guidelines, the most important thing is to provide a loving, nurturing environment that supports your individual child’s needs and development.

Child development (1) – newborn to three months

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Summary

Read the full fact sheet

• Even from birth, babies can communicate with you.
• A newborn doesn’t realise they are a separate person.
• Infants in the first eight weeks have no control over their movements and all their physical activity is involuntary or reflex.

Coming into the world is a big and scary adventure for babies. At first, they don’t know you are there to feed and care for them – they only know when they feel comfortable and safe, or otherwise. However, even from birth, they start to communicate and give you little signals when they are tired or hungry, or awake and alert. They are learning all the time, and the job of parents is to help them know that the world is a welcoming place where their needs will be met.

Even shy and sleepy babies take an interest in your voice and face. A big section of the brain is devoted to understanding and remembering faces, and a large part of our social behaviour is based on how we ‘read’ other people’s faces. Looking into someone’s eyes is a necessity for ‘falling in love’, so show your baby your face and talk to them soothingly right from the start. Don’t feel rejected if they turn away; tiny babies often get tired when they interact.

Newborns:

• Don’t understand what is happening to them, or realise they are a separate person
• Don’t know who is feeding them, or who helps them when they cry
• Cry when they are hungry or tired, but don’t know they are being cared for
• Can’t cry ‘for attention’ or to ‘get at’ their parents – a newborn is not capable of responding to you with any conscious purpose
• Can feel, but not think
• Smile by five to seven weeks
• Laugh out loud by three months.

Physical development

Common characteristics include:

• Many babies who are under three months cry a lot, especially in the late afternoon or evening. (‘Jiggling’ babies is not a good way to help them settle and can be very scary or even painful for the baby, even if they stop crying. It is very important not to shake a baby.)
• Your baby is bombarded by external stimuli (shapes, sounds, colours) and can easily feel overwhelmed.

Hearing and seeing

Newborns can hear, and have been hearing noises from well before they were born. Newborns have immature eye muscles and, while they can see (particularly at close range), they can’t organise the visual images into meaningful shapes.

Developmental characteristics include:

• In the first two months, they are attracted by bright light, primary colours, stripes, dots and patterns.
• Eyes move in unison, most of the time, by six weeks.
• The human face is the first ‘object’ they recognise.
• Over the first three months, they begin to recognise particular faces and other things (like their teddy bear) in their world.

Using their bodies

Infants in the first eight weeks have no control over their movements and all their physical activity is involuntary or reflex. They move their bodies while they are awake, but they do not yet know how to make each part of their body move, or even that all the bits belong to them.

Developmental characteristics include:

• Sucking, grasping, startling and pulling to stand are all reflexes.
• They start to work out how to lift their heads when lying on their tummy, and kick their legs by about eight weeks.
• In their third month, they begin to watch their hands and feet wave in the air, and also begin to wave that fist towards your face or some other desired object.

Speech and language

For the newborn, crying is their only means of communication. It is important to respond to your baby as soon as possible, so they begin to understand that you will be there for them. Characteristics of speech include:

• By seven or eight weeks, they begin to discover their voice and make cooing noises and vowel sounds.
• Even by about eight weeks, they will listen to what you say, then make noises back as they ‘talk’ to you.

Suggested activities

Suggestions on encouraging and supporting your baby’s development include:

• Make a mobile and hang it, facing them, above their cot
• Stroke different parts of their body to see how they like to be touched
• Speak to them gently and use their name
• Play them music
• Sing to them
• Hold them a lot
• Let them look at your face as you talk to them
• Copy their little gestures
• Rock them.

All children are different and develop at different rates, so if your baby doesn’t do all the things listed in this article, it may be because they are working on some different area of learning and development. However, if your baby is very different from other children, or if you are worried about their development or it seems to go backwards, seek the advice of a health professional.

Signs that could suggest a developmental problem include:

• Unusually floppy or stiff body
• Arm or leg on one side is obviously different in muscle tone or power to the other
• Fingers are always held in a tight fist
• Not watching faces by two to three months
• Not startling to noise
• Difficulties with feeding beyond ‘normal’ range
• Long periods of crying and persistent difficulties with settling
• The child is exceptionally quiet and placid.

Where to get help

• Your doctor
• Maternal and child health nurse
• The Maternal and Child Health Line is available 24 hours a day Tel. 132 229

Things to remember

• Even from birth, babies can communicate with you.
• A newborn doesn’t realise they are a separate person.
• Infants in the first eight weeks have no control over their movements and all their physical activity is involuntary or reflex.

• Greenspan, S, 1991, Psychopathology and adaption in infancy and early childhood, International Universities Press.
• Lingham, S & Harvey, D, 1988, Manual of child development, Churchill Livingstone.
• Allen, K & Marotz, L, 1999, Developmental profiles, Delmar Publishers.

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved
by:

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved
by:

Give feedback about this page

Was this page helpful?

More information

Content disclaimer

Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances. The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website.

Reviewed on: 30-09-2012

Child development (1) – newborn to three months

Actions for this page

Summary

Read the full fact sheet

• Even from birth, babies can communicate with you.
• A newborn doesn’t realise they are a separate person.
• Infants in the first eight weeks have no control over their movements and all their physical activity is involuntary or reflex.

Coming into the world is a big and scary adventure for babies. At first, they don’t know you are there to feed and care for them – they only know when they feel comfortable and safe, or otherwise. However, even from birth, they start to communicate and give you little signals when they are tired or hungry, or awake and alert. They are learning all the time, and the job of parents is to help them know that the world is a welcoming place where their needs will be met.

Even shy and sleepy babies take an interest in your voice and face. A big section of the brain is devoted to understanding and remembering faces, and a large part of our social behaviour is based on how we ‘read’ other people’s faces. Looking into someone’s eyes is a necessity for ‘falling in love’, so show your baby your face and talk to them soothingly right from the start. Don’t feel rejected if they turn away; tiny babies often get tired when they interact.

Newborns:

• Don’t understand what is happening to them, or realise they are a separate person
• Don’t know who is feeding them, or who helps them when they cry
• Cry when they are hungry or tired, but don’t know they are being cared for
• Can’t cry ‘for attention’ or to ‘get at’ their parents – a newborn is not capable of responding to you with any conscious purpose
• Can feel, but not think
• Smile by five to seven weeks
• Laugh out loud by three months.

Physical development

Common characteristics include:

• Many babies who are under three months cry a lot, especially in the late afternoon or evening. (‘Jiggling’ babies is not a good way to help them settle and can be very scary or even painful for the baby, even if they stop crying. It is very important not to shake a baby.)
• Your baby is bombarded by external stimuli (shapes, sounds, colours) and can easily feel overwhelmed.

Hearing and seeing

Newborns can hear, and have been hearing noises from well before they were born. Newborns have immature eye muscles and, while they can see (particularly at close range), they can’t organise the visual images into meaningful shapes.

Developmental characteristics include:

• In the first two months, they are attracted by bright light, primary colours, stripes, dots and patterns.
• Eyes move in unison, most of the time, by six weeks.
• The human face is the first ‘object’ they recognise.
• Over the first three months, they begin to recognise particular faces and other things (like their teddy bear) in their world.

Using their bodies

Infants in the first eight weeks have no control over their movements and all their physical activity is involuntary or reflex. They move their bodies while they are awake, but they do not yet know how to make each part of their body move, or even that all the bits belong to them.

Developmental characteristics include:

• Sucking, grasping, startling and pulling to stand are all reflexes.
• They start to work out how to lift their heads when lying on their tummy, and kick their legs by about eight weeks.
• In their third month, they begin to watch their hands and feet wave in the air, and also begin to wave that fist towards your face or some other desired object.

Speech and language

For the newborn, crying is their only means of communication. It is important to respond to your baby as soon as possible, so they begin to understand that you will be there for them. Characteristics of speech include:

• By seven or eight weeks, they begin to discover their voice and make cooing noises and vowel sounds.
• Even by about eight weeks, they will listen to what you say, then make noises back as they ‘talk’ to you.

Suggested activities

Suggestions on encouraging and supporting your baby’s development include:

• Make a mobile and hang it, facing them, above their cot
• Stroke different parts of their body to see how they like to be touched
• Speak to them gently and use their name
• Play them music
• Sing to them
• Hold them a lot
• Let them look at your face as you talk to them
• Copy their little gestures
• Rock them.

All children are different and develop at different rates, so if your baby doesn’t do all the things listed in this article, it may be because they are working on some different area of learning and development. However, if your baby is very different from other children, or if you are worried about their development or it seems to go backwards, seek the advice of a health professional.

Signs that could suggest a developmental problem include:

• Unusually floppy or stiff body
• Arm or leg on one side is obviously different in muscle tone or power to the other
• Fingers are always held in a tight fist
• Not watching faces by two to three months
• Not startling to noise
• Difficulties with feeding beyond ‘normal’ range
• Long periods of crying and persistent difficulties with settling
• The child is exceptionally quiet and placid.

Where to get help

• Your doctor
• Maternal and child health nurse
• The Maternal and Child Health Line is available 24 hours a day Tel. 132 229

Things to remember

• Even from birth, babies can communicate with you.
• A newborn doesn’t realise they are a separate person.
• Infants in the first eight weeks have no control over their movements and all their physical activity is involuntary or reflex.

• Greenspan, S, 1991, Psychopathology and adaption in infancy and early childhood, International Universities Press.
• Lingham, S & Harvey, D, 1988, Manual of child development, Churchill Livingstone.
• Allen, K & Marotz, L, 1999, Developmental profiles, Delmar Publishers.

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved
by:

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved
by:

Give feedback about this page

Was this page helpful?

More information

Content disclaimer

Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances. The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website.

Reviewed on: 30-09-2012

Why does the baby cry – articles from the specialists of the clinic “Mother and Child”

Bondarenko Margarita Gennadievna

Otorhinolaryngologist (ENT)

Clinic “Mother and Child” Kuntsevo,

I want to eat!

Most often the baby cries because he wants to eat. And to understand that he is hungry is the easiest way. At first, the baby shows concern, smacks his lips, turns his head to his mother’s hand, stroking his cheek, tries to put his own fist in his mouth. All this means that there is very little time left before the hungry cry. Noticing such signs, you should not wait: feed the baby on demand. Otherwise, starting to cry, he will have to spend a lot of energy trying to calm down, and therefore, he will eat less and the next time he will get hungry again too soon. In general, for children who are breastfed, during the first month of life there is no clear feeding regimen. A newborn can be applied to the breast up to 10-12 times a day.

I want to sleep!

The next reason for screaming is, oddly enough, the desire to sleep. Many parents think that a baby can fall asleep anytime, anywhere, and even in almost any position. No, it’s not like that – he needs help. How do you know if your baby wants to sleep? It’s easy to guess. At first, he will behave restlessly, cry, push out the pacifier, rub his eyes, yawn. And then he starts crying. Here, too, it is necessary to try to calm the child as soon as possible so that he does not disperse in crying, otherwise it will be more difficult for him to fall asleep. Rituals will help: you can shake the baby, sing a song, put it in a familiar sleeping place.

I’m wet!

Crying can be a signal that the baby is uncomfortable, such as a wet diaper. Cold and wet, they irritate the skin, so he screams: “Mom, dad, change me quickly!” Crying about this is whimpering, incessant, although it sounds either stronger or weaker, it may be accompanied by hiccups, as the child freezes in wet diapers. If the diaper is changed, and the baby is warmer to cover, he will calm down. If the child is not in diapers, but in reusable diapers, you should not relax either: they can leak or get wet inside. So, the baby is also wet and cold. If the child sleeps in one diaper all night, then he may be disturbed by a greatly increased diaper volume. And of course, children do not like to be in dirty diapers (diapers): feces quickly irritate delicate skin.

I’m hot!

If the baby is hot, he will also cry about it. He will begin to whimper, scatter his arms and legs, his skin will turn red, a small red rash (prickly heat) may appear under his clothes. At the same time, the temperature of the baby sometimes even rises to 37.5 ° C. This is what saves here: the child must be undressed (and removed diapers, especially disposable ones), wiped with a towel moistened with water at room temperature, and allowed to lie in the air for several minutes. Then you need to dress the baby, but in other, clean clothes. In the fight against overheating and prickly heat, a reasonable amount of clothing and a comfortable room temperature – no higher than 24-25 ° C will help, first of all.

I’m uncomfortable!

The reason for the inconvenience can be any: the child may scream when the temperature changes, when changing clothes, changing the diaper or wiping his bottom with a damp cloth. Newborns feel more comfortable when they are dressed or wrapped in diapers, because the touch of air on the skin is not always pleasant for them. In addition, children often do not like to be changed, especially if it is winter and you have to wear a lot of clothes. There is only one way out: learn to act as quickly as possible, causing the crumbs a minimum of inconvenience.

A few words about clothes. It is better not to buy clothes with fasteners on the back and coarse seams inside – the baby may not like it. And sometimes even the slightest thread or hair caught between the clothes and the skin of the baby causes him great inconvenience.

I want attention!

Attention and tactile sensations are very important for a child. He loves to see the faces of his mom and dad, hear their voices, communicate with them. But so far, the baby cannot ask his parents to take him in his arms, read him a fairy tale, sing a song, play – but this does not mean at all that he does not need it. Therefore, crying, the baby wants to be paid attention to, requires communication. Do not worry that the baby will get used to the hands too much. While he is so small, he needs to feel a sense of security – it is this that will later help him gain confidence in his abilities. Well, different cradles, deck chairs, playpens, child seats will only help mom and dad free their hands and at the same time place their beloved child next to them.

Once you learn to understand your baby’s “language”, you will see that the reasons for crying vary from case to case. A little time and patience – and very soon you will understand what the child wants, already from the first seconds of his discontent.

Make an appointment

to the doctor – Bondarenko Margarita Gennadievna

Clinic “Mother and Child” Kuntsevo

Pediatric otorhinolaryngologyFor childrenDispanserizationMonitoring of children at home0003

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Mother and Child Clinic South-West, Mother and Child Clinic Kuntsevo

The baby was born, and we expect him to look like beautiful and pink babies from advertising pictures. And he is some kind of red, then suddenly turned yellow, on the skin or a rash, or peeling. In addition, the weight is still unstable, the chair is incomprehensible – is the child healthy? Healthy, and all these changes are the so-called transient (transitional) states. Where do they come from, what do they look like and what to do with it all?

The child sat in the mother’s stomach for nine months, swam in the water and received oxygen through the placenta. As soon as the baby was born, his world immediately became different: instead of water around him, air, the ambient temperature dropped from 36.6-37 ° C to 22-25 ° C, plus gravity, sounds, smells, bright light. And now you have to breathe (lungs) yourself, eat differently, and then also remove metabolic products. And just like that, it is not easy for a newborn to immediately switch from one lifestyle to another, it takes time. That is why, from the point of view of physiology, in the first month of life, “something happens all the time” with children, and much more often and brighter than in later life. These are the transitory (transitional, boundary) states. All of them surprise and even frighten young parents, especially since transition states appear and disappear very quickly. But for newborns, they are completely natural. What moms and dads see most often are transitional states of skin, stool, weight, plus or minus a couple more conditions.

How the skin changes

The child was born, and we see that he is all sort of bluish-purple, and then his skin color immediately turns red. On the second day after birth, the baby “blushes” the brightest. Doctors call this redness “erythema simple” and it appears due to the fact that the skin adapts to a new environment. Then the child’s skin turns pale and by the end of the first week of life it becomes the pale pink color we are used to.

But that is not all. On the third or fifth day of life, the baby’s skin may begin to peel off, especially on the abdomen and chest. What is this? Does the child lack vitamins, something with nutrition, is the air too dry in the house? No, this is also a transitional state – physiological peeling, and it is also associated with the fact that the skin is adapting to a new life. The skin flakes for about a week, and then everything goes away. You don’t need to do anything with it. Of course, you can treat the skin with various softening lotions and creams, but there will be no significant effect from them. Very soon, the baby’s skin will become smooth and soft on its own.

Most of all, parents are afraid of a rash on the baby’s skin, which does not often, but sometimes still appears in the first week of life. This is the so-called toxic erythema – spots with grayish-yellow seals in the center. The rash is most often located on the extensor surfaces of the arms and legs around the joints, on the chest. Less often, such spots can be on the whole body (except for the palms, feet and mucous membranes). “Maybe it’s chickenpox, rubella, or some other disease?” parents are afraid. No, this is a kind of reaction of the skin of a newly born baby to its environment, especially to hypothermia, overheating, contact with clothes, food. Within one to three days, new spots may appear, but more often two or three days after the onset, they all disappear without a trace. At the same time, the child’s well-being is not disturbed, the body temperature is normal and he does not need any medication. The only thing is that you need to take care of the bubbles on the skin: for example, gently blot them after bathing. And you also need to make sure that the bubbles do not rub and they do not burst (otherwise an infection may join them).

Physiological jaundice

The changes that are visible on the skin do not end there. Very often (in 60-70% of children) on the second or third day of life, the skin turns yellow, the maximum of yellowness occurs on the third or fourth day, and by the end of the first week it disappears. This is how physiological jaundice of a newborn is manifested – a condition in which the amount of bile pigment, bilirubin, increases in a child. In some children, jaundice is similar to a light tan (parents may not notice it), while in others, the skin will turn bright yellow. Very quickly, the level of bilirubin returns to normal and the skin color becomes normal again. If jaundice is mild and passes quickly, then no additional treatment is needed. But if jaundice does not disappear or the skin color is intense yellow, you should consult a doctor.

Weight loss

Do you think the baby will immediately be born well-fed, with folds and cute roundness? No, right after birth, this is still far away. In the first days of life, an already not too well-fed newborn will lose even more weight. Such weight loss is a natural process, the so-called physiological weight loss. Weight decreases because immediately after birth, the baby loses part of the water through the skin, its umbilical cord dries out, meconium (the first feces) and urine are excreted, and also because the baby still eats a small amount of milk. Maximum weight loss usually occurs by the third or fifth day and is normally no more than 6-8% of birth weight. At this time, mother and baby are usually discharged from the hospital, but there is no need to worry. By the seventh or tenth day of life, a healthy baby will restore its previous parameters.

chair changes

On the first or second day, all newborns pass the original stool (meconium): it is thick, viscous and dark green in color. Time passes, the baby begins to receive colostrum, and on the third or fourth day of life, a transitional stool appears. Now areas of dark green color alternate with greenish and yellow ones, and some lumps, mucus are also visible in the stool. It all looks like some kind of intestinal disorder, but it’s not. It’s just that the gastrointestinal tract is moving to a new job, now it’s ready to digest food. By the end of the first week of life, the stool in most children is yellow, similar to gruel, and it will continue to be so.

Warm-cold

A typical fear of all grandmothers is that the child is freezing! Yes, indeed, in newborns, the body temperature regulation processes are still imperfect, so babies easily cool down, but they also overheat just as easily. For example, if a newborn is dressed too warmly or placed next to a heating battery, he will quickly overheat, even if this is the usual temperature in the room. At the same time, the child easily loses heat when he is undressed for a long time or he lies in wet clothes. Therefore, in the room where there is a newborn, the air temperature should be adequate – 20-22 ° C. And if she rises higher, and the child is warmly dressed, then this will also not be good.

Sometimes, very rarely (in 1% of newborns), body temperature on the third or fifth day may temporarily rise to 38–39 °C. There are no other symptoms of the disease, the body temperature quickly returns to normal, but the parents have time to get scared. It’s difficult to figure out what it is – temporary hyperthermia or still a disease – it’s difficult, so it’s better to call a doctor.

Hormonal crisis

An uncommon occurrence, but it also occurs occasionally. In some children, on the third or fourth day of life, the mammary glands become engorged (in both girls and boys). They increase as much as possible by the seventh or eighth day, and liquid discharge may even appear from them. Some girls have very little bloody discharge from the vagina for a very short time. This is the so-called hormonal crisis – it occurs due to the action of maternal hormones – estrogens (they penetrate through the placenta during childbirth). At the peak of estrogen action, the signs of a hormonal crisis are maximum, then the hormones are removed from the body and the symptoms gradually disappear. Therefore, you don’t need to apply a cabbage leaf to your chest, make compresses with camphor or something else: everything will pass by itself.

Usually, all these transitional states are pronounced in the first week of life, less often, but it happens that they drag on for up to three to four weeks. One more thing – it is not necessary that the child will show all transitional states, but almost everyone has physiological weight loss and transitional stools. And many of the transitional states are completely invisible to parents, but they also exist, they can simply be identified only by laboratory methods.

So we are not in a hurry to be frightened, noticing that the child’s skin suddenly began to peel off or he turned slightly yellow. We remember that he must adapt to a new life, that in the first time after birth, the baby has the right to some changes. Especially if, with all this, the baby is cheerful, calm and eats well. Well, if you are still somehow anxious, ask your pediatrician questions. He will definitely be able to put everything in its place.

Inset

The maximum weight loss in a newborn usually occurs by the third or fifth day and normally amounts to no more than 6-8% of body weight at birth.

From the point of view of physiology, in the first month of life, “something happens all the time” with children, and much more often and brighter than in later life. These are the transitory (transitional, boundary) states.

In infants, the body temperature regulation processes are still imperfect, so they easily become overcooled and overheated. In this regard, in the room where there is a newborn, the air temperature should be about – 20–22 ° C.

Physiological jaundice of the newborn:

• occurs on the 2-3rd day of the baby’s life, reaches a maximum on the 4-5th day, and disappears by the 10th day;
• the general condition of the child does not suffer;
• the level of bilirubin in the blood does not exceed 180 µmol/l.

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to the doctor – Babin Evgeny Alexandrovich

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