Normal things of newborns that you should not worry about
What a joy, the baby has arrived! To the immense happiness for the birth of our son many times a feeling of fear: Do you sleep too much? cry a lot? Is that about the skin normal? It is very normal that in parents (mainly first-timers) there are doubts about the "normality of certain characteristics of the baby", as explained by the experts of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics in Primary Care.
These are some examples of completely normal things that parents do not have to worry about.
Characteristics of baby's skin
The skin of the baby is one of the first factors of anguish in the fathers. Therefore, these pediatricians explain that it is common "to observe in the first days a peeling of the skin on the trunk and extremities". Being normal, no special care is necessary since "it solves itself in a short time", they qualify.
At other times we can see that the baby has, in the lower back, "a dark spot that resembles a bruise." This and receives the name of "Mongolian spot" since it is frequent in this race. The extent of the stain can vary from one child to another but you have to have one thing clear: "it does not mean any disease and disappears alone in the first years". The same thing happens with the red spots that appear on the skin of the nape area, the eyelids or in the center of the forehead: they will disappear without doing anything in a few months.
With regard to the nose, cheeks and chin, it is common that in the first days "small whitish grains reminiscent of acne pustules. " These are called miliaria, although they are also known as fattening. "They do not matter or require care," the pediatricians explain.
Characteristics of the nails of newborns
Children are often born with long fingernails and partially broken at its ends. Pediatricians say that sometimes this causes them to hurt themselves, "especially the face." If this happens, you can cut your baby's nails regardless of how long you live.
Now, how to cut her nails? "It must be done with care, taking advantage of the moments when the baby is more relaxed and using appropriate round-tipped scissors or a nail clipper. "If you do not feel very confident in handling the scissors with your baby, you can, on time, opt for a nail file .
Do you have swollen breasts?
Another normal thing in newborn babies is that. due to the passage of maternal hormones through the placenta, "have an increase in the size of the breasts during the first weeks". Again the pediatricians are clear in this aspect: "you should not push, it will disappear only after a few months".
The navel of the newborn
Over the years, the tips on umbilical cord care in the first days and until its fall they have been changing: depending on the year in which the baby was born, different antiseptic products have been recommended (70º alcohol, mercurochrome, iodine products, etc.) and practices such as the not to wet the cord or bathe the child until it had come off.
Currently, several scientific studies have agreed on the following recommendations on umbilical cord care, which can be summarized as follows:
· The cord tends to come off between the 5th and 15th day.
· The cord area can be washed with warm water and a neutral soap, like the rest of the skin, at the time of bathing, drying it and then covering it with dry gauze.
· Necessary Change baby diapers often. If we find that the cord appears stained with faeces, we must wash again with soap and water, dry and leave a dry gauze.
· The use of antiseptics does not offer advantages on good hygiene and can sometimes delay cord fall.
The baby's genitals
In the case of males, it is normal that there is phimosis, a "normal situation at this age that does not require any intervention, being inadvisable the realization of forced retractions of the skin", explain these experts.
With regard to girls, "It is common to find large lips bulging." In the folds between the major and minor lips there are also "whitish remnants that are remnants of the caseous vernix, unctuous whitish substance that covers the baby's skin at the time of birth". This substance is very attached and sometimes requires successive gentle washes to make it disappear.
On the other hand, the mucus secretion can sometimes be seen through the vaginal orifice. This occurs as a consequence of the influence of maternal hormones, as it did in the case of breast swelling.
Sometimes, after a few days, there may even be a small bleeding from the vagina (a small period). Despite the shock, calm, this is also normal.
The eyes of the newborn baby
Contrary to popular belief, newborns are able to see from birth. Yes, only at a distance of about 20 or 30 centimeters are they able to focus the image and, for example, they can clearly see the face of their mother.
Hygiene of the eyes under normal circumstances does not require the use of special materials such as sterile gauze or physiological saline. With warm water and a soft cloth is enough. "Only if an abnormality appears, such as inflammation or abnormal secretions, you should consult with the pediatrician or nurse the need for treatment," clarify the matter.
There are things my son does ... should I worry?
"Most healthy newborns often perform certain acts that can be misinterpreted or, at least, generate some concern in the parents," say pediatricians, who refer, for example, hiccups, sneezing or small nasal sounds when sleeping.
In these cases, the recommendation is simple: "a quiet observation of the baby, assuring us of their well-being, it is sufficient, and no intervention is necessary ".
The routine of babies
One final point has to do with the routine of newborn babies: these "manifest a pattern of variable activity and sleep cycles throughout the day and unrelated to the wake-day / sleep-night rhythm of adults". But nevertheless, "over the course of the weeks the babies are learning to organize the day", now good, this is not done alone:" it is useful to adapt the stimuli of noise and light, as well as certain events such as bathing at similar times, to favor the appearance of routines and rhythms"they conclude.
It may interest you:
- Main problems in the skin of babies
- Umbilical cord care
- The fears of the first mother
