What Will My Newborn Baby Look Like

What Will My Newborn Baby Look Like?

Skin Color: Immediately after birth a baby’s color is often quite darker that it will be after a few hours. The hands and feet of a newly born baby may appear quite purple. Caucasian babies are shades of pink, Black babies are shades of reddish brown, and Asian, Hispanic and bi-racial babies skin colors vary from deeper pink to lighter reddish brown. At times the baby’s skin will appear blotchy or mottled. Crying babies are very red in color and sleeping babies are often pale. Jaundice: Many babies will develop a yellow discoloration of the skin that results in the normal process of breaking down red blood cells. This may begin during the second and third day of life and often disappears within 10-14 days. Although this is common to most babies, this condition will need to be monitored by the healthcare provider. Mongolian Spots: These dark purple spots found on the baby’s buttocks or lower back are common in Black, Asian, Hispanic and bi-racial babies. These will fade over a period of years but may appear to resemble a bruise. Vernix: This is a white cheesy material which protects the baby’s skin before birth. It can remain in the creases of the skin for several weeks and will gradually disappear with normal bathing.

Head Soft spot or fontanel: Every baby has two soft spots at birth. The larger is a diamond shaped spot on the top of the baby’s head. The smaller is shaped as a triangle and is at the back of the head. These soft spots are areas where the skull has not yet completely closed. The small spot closes at about 6 months of age and the larger one at about 18 months. The scalp covering the spots is thick and strong and can be cleaned without hurting the baby. Shape: During a vaginal delivery, some molding to the shape of the baby’s head is common and will resolve within a few days. Milia: These pin-head sized white spots are seen on the baby’s face and are due to blocked sweat and oil glands. Gentle washing is all that is necessary and these spots will disappear in a few weeks. Stork bites: Some babies will have deep red patches over the eyelids, nose, forehead or back of the neck. These are a collection of small blood vessels and will fade by about 9-12 months.

Eyes It is normal for a baby’s eyes to look crossed or to roll around as the muscles surrounding the eyes are immature. This will improve as the baby begins to use these muscles. Fair-skinned babies usually have grey-blue eyes and dark-skinned babies have brown eyes. If the eye color is © 2010, Every Child Succeeds® going to change, it usually does so by 6 months of age. A baby’s tear ducts do not function until about 3 weeks of age.

Mouth Sucking callus: Sucking calluses start as painless blisters, usually located at the center of the upper lip and are caused by the strong hard sucking the baby will use to eat effectively. No treatment is necessary.

Breasts Swollen breasts in both female and male infants are due to maternal hormones. Some babies will even leak drops of milk. This will disappear without treatment.

Genitals Male and female babies will have swollen genitals due to maternal hormones. Female babies may even have a small milky or bloody discharge.

Feet The position of the baby’s feet after birth usually reflects their position before birth and may be turned in, turned up toward the knee or turned out from the body. This positioning will be monitored by the healthcare provider and often requires no treatment.

Reflexes Newborn babies do not have conscious control over movements. The immature nervous system protects the baby with many reflexes. Moro or Startle Reflex: When a newborn is startled by noise or sudden movement, it will stretch out all of it’s limbs, straighten the body and rapidly cur up again. This reflex disappears as the baby matures and learns to cry to bring parents close. Stepping Reflex: When a baby is held upright with weight on the legs, the legs move up and down as if walking. This reflex disappears by about the end of the second month when the baby will begin to bear weight on the legs. Grasp Reflex: This reflex is found in both the hands and feet and can be seen as the baby will grasp an object placed in the palm or at the base of the toes. This reflex lessens as the baby learns to purposefully grasp these objects with hands and learns to walk holing on. Sucking and Rooting Reflexes: Eating is necessary so babies will suck reflexively on any object place near the mouth. Babies who have a cheek stroked, will turn in that direction to search for a nipple. Quivering chins, sneezes, coughs, yawns and hiccoughs are also among the various normal reflexes that all babies demonstrate.