|
|
|
| Free E-magazine |
| Subscribe to our Free E-Magazine on Pregnancy. |
| Learn More |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Home > Baby Care > Newborn`s Appearance
| |
| | Newborn Baby`s Appearance
| |
| |
New parents are often amazed by their own creation; everything about the baby amazes them. The physical appearance, the structure of his head, color of his eyes, his initial dusky color, the presence of vernix and streaks of blood, make a lasting impression on them. You will probably be fascinated by this whole experience and may want to leave him alone for a single minute.
Body
The weight of an average full-term baby is seven to seven and one-half pounds and its height is about twenty inches. His shoulder looks a bit slanting and narrow, with a protruding abdomen. The size of his hips is small, and her arms and legs are relatively short and flexed.
 Head
Size: Compared to his body a newborn`s head is large.
Molding:
The shape of the head depends upon the pressures the baby undergoes to descend from the mother`s uterus during labor and birth. It may be temporarily elongated or molded regaining its normal shape within a few days. There may also be some bruising and swelling of the scalp depending the mode of delivery, the condition disappears with time.
Soft spots:
Babies are born with two "soft spots" or fontanels areas where the bones of the skull have not completely fused. A large, diamond shaped soft spot on the top front portion of the head, is larger than the triangle shaped spot lying at the back. The larger one fuses by eighteen months, while the smaller one by two to six months. You need not be unnecessarily anxious about brushing, and washing the scalp, thinking that it will injure your baby, as the membrane covering the fontanels is thick and tough.
 Hair
Your baby may or may not be covered with hair on his scalp, but he may be covered with hair in the back, shoulders, forehead, ears, and face. This is fine, downy body hair, called lanugo. It is more pronounced in premature babies. Lanugo disappears during the first few weeks.
 Eyes:
Blue-gray eyes are the characteristics of fair skinned babies while dark skinned babies have brown or dark gray eyes. The eye color changes sometimes, if at all it has to change, it changes by six months. It takes about three weeks for the tear glands to produce tears.
Lip Blister:
Intense sucking may often cause a painless blister on the center of the upper lip. It may peel off sometime. It disappears gradually, as the lip toughens.
 Skin Color:
Your baby may be born with a gray-blue skin color. On birth his body is wet, and streaked with blood and covered with vernix, a white creamy substance. Breathing helps the baby to get his normal skin tones, starting from his face and trunk and eventually reaching her fingers and toes.
Milia:
Obstructed sweat and oil glands cause small white spots on your baby`s nose, cheeks, and chin. With the functioning of the sweat and oil glands for some weeks, the milia will disappear. This condition is best left untreated, simple cleaning her face with a wash cloth is advisable.
 Mottled skin:
A newborn`s skin often remains slightly transparent for several weeks. Fair-skinned babies particularly look blotchy, with areas of redness and paleness.
Peeling skin:
Skin seems to be peeling off form the body particularly at the wrists, hands, ankles, and feet. Overdue babies seem to peel more than term babies. This is normal and no treatment is necessary.
Vernix caseosa:
This white creamy substance, which protected your baby`s skin before birth, seems to be present in skin creases even after bathing. The vernix need not be removed forcefully. Gently rub it into the creases and folds of your baby`s body.
 Stork bites:
A collection of superficial blood vessels are called "stork bites." They may appear on the back of the baby`s neck, eyelids, nose, or forehead. They redden when the baby cries. These marks are not caused by injury during birth and are not permanent in nature, fading or disappearing within nine months. Some take longer to fade, especially those on the neck.
 Mongolian spots:
Mongolian spots, areas of dark pigment, mostly found in some of dark skinned baby`s buttocks or lower back. The spots look like "black and blue" marks or bruises. They gradually fade and usually disappear by age four.
Breasts:
The maternal hormones may induce swollen breasts in male and female babies. Some babies even leak milk from their nipples. This is an absolutely normal condition needing no treatment. Do not express milk from your baby`s nipples; the swelling will subside with time.
Umbilical Cord:
On delivery newborn`s umbilical cord is bluish-white in color, darkening as it dries, and falls off spontaneously between the first and third weeks. The cord should be kept clean, by wiping around the base of the cord daily with a cotton swab dipped in water. The stump should not be covered with diapers or plastic pants. Try to keep the cord as dry as possible. Traditionally, the cord is kept dry by using alcohol swabs and giving sponge baths until the cord has fallen off. Alcohol, may irritate the soft baby skin and may be as effective as water. Tub baths are better than sponge baths. Many physicians now recommend swabbing with water and giving tub baths from the beginning.
Genitals:
The maternal hormones may induce swollen genitals in both male and female babies. Female infants may even dis-charge a milky or bloody substance from the vagina. Male in-fants may have unusually large testicles. These conditions are normal and temporary and do not require treatment.
| |
| |
|
