Written by Kathy Sinclair, CLE, CPD
Congratulations on the birth of your baby, while this is a very exciting time it can also seem like the most frightening time of your life as well. Well we at Babies Advantage are here to help you. This article is designed to give you information on the first three months of your baby’s life.
Many first time parents have never seen a newborn baby the first day after birth and may be surprised about the normal newborn appearance.
Vernix: Your baby may have a creamy yellowish-white coating on his or her skin at birth. Vernix serves as a protective coating before your baby is born.
Lanugo: Lanugo is a fine, downy hair on the face, shoulders and back of some babies. It will fall off in the first few weeks.
Milia: Milia are tiny white bumps or yellow spots across the top of the nose or skin. These are caused by skin gland secretion and disappear in the first few weeks of life.
Puffiness: Swelling or puffiness is normal on your baby’s head, face and eyes. It usually goes away in a few days. Swelling of the breasts is also common in both male and female babies, due to mother’s hormones passed to your baby before birth. In addition, you may notice a few drops of milk leaking from your baby’s breasts. This, too, is normal and usually only lasts about a week.
Jaundice: Many newborns develop a yellowish tinge to their skin in the first few days of life. This is caused by a normal breakdown of old red blood cells resulting in an increased amount of bilirubin. As the bilirubin levels rise above normal, this yellowish tinge will appear first on the face, then on the chest and abdomen, and finally on the legs. Bilirubin levels usually reach there highest between days three and four, which may be after you have already left the hospital. If you are concerned that your baby is jaundiced contact your pediatrician, as a blood test may be required to determine if treatment is needed. Some treatments include:
1.The baby is fed breast milk or formula (not water or sugar water). This helps the baby to have a bowel movement. Breast milk is the best for this as it is a natural laxative.
2. The baby is sometimes put under special lights to help lower the bilrubin level.
Your Baby’s Head: At birth, your baby’s head may appear long and/or misshapen. This is called molding and enabled the baby to fit through the birth canal. Molding is normal, and your baby’s head will become round in a few days. If you had an internal monitor during labor, you may see a scab on the baby’s head. This heals in anew days. If forceps or vacuum extraction were used during delivery, there may be a small amount of redness and bruising.
Soft spots: All babies have two soft spots, or fontanelles, on their head. These are the areas where the immature bones of the skull are still growing together. The larger opening is on top pf the head and will remain soft until after the first birthday. It is normal to see it moving up and down as your baby feeds or cries. A smaller fontanelle is at the back of the head and will close by four months of age.
Genitals: It is not unusual to see swelling of the genitals in newborns after birth. This is due to the mother’s hormones passed to the baby before birth.
Girls: The labia or lips around the vagina may appear swollen or enlarged and will return too normal in a few days. Sometimes a drop of blood or pink tint may appear on the diaper. This is normal. A clear mucous discharge from the vagina is also normal.
Boys: The penis and scrotum may appear swollen or enlarged and will return too normal in a few days. See “circumcision care”.
BASIC BABY CARE
Most new parents face the arrival of their new baby with great anxiety. The responsibility can be overwhelming. The following tips for feeding, diaper changing, calming your baby; cord care, circumcision care, dressing your baby and bathing your baby may help you through the early days.
This information has not been prepared by a physician, is not intended as medical advice, and is not a substitute for regular medical care. Consult with a physician if medical symptoms or problems occur.
