Newborn Care: Head To Toe Guide

At birth your baby's body will show the signs of 9months in utero and the process of labor and delivery. Hence, the toll that it takes on the body can be anything from skin blotches, a cone shaped head and a skinny body. However, within a few weeks your baby's body grows these things will disappear and true cuteness will begin to emerge.

Head To To Guide

Head: Your baby's head may not be perfectly shaped. The reason,typically during vaginal birth, passing through the birth canal can place pressure on your baby's skull referred to as molding. The newborn skull has two fontanels "soft spots" (located on the the top of the skull and the back of the head)these are delicate areas on the skull where bones have not fused together which allows the skull to be more pliable. As well your baby's brain will grow quite a bit during the first year, so extra room is needed for expansion. The soft spots on your baby's skull will slowly disappear as the bones of the skull will fuse together. Your baby's head should begin to take on its original shape within a week or so.

Newborn Skin: Delicate and sensitive, the overall appearance of the skin may vary among newborns. The wrinkled skin is thin and covered in vernix a white substance that protects the skin from the amniotic fluid. This will begin to peel gradually over the weeks. You will notice peeling especially in the creases of the skin near the hands and feet. Depending on the gestational age at birth,premature babies will have extremely thin skin covered with a layer of lanugo(fine body hair) which covers the body.

Birthmarks: Common for many newborns these distinct marks can appear at birth or shortly thereafter. The most common types of birth marks are as follows: stork bites, mongolian spots, hemangiomas and angel kisses. The overall characteristics can have a wide range of shapes, sizes,colors,location on the body and the overall duration

Jaundice(hyperbilirubinemia): If the whites of your baby's eyes or your baby's skin appears to have a yellowish tint,this maybe due to the jaundice. This happens when there is an excessive buildup of bilirubin in the blood as the body breaks down red blood cells and is not excreted from the body. If you have any questions about whether your baby has jaundice discuss this with your baby's pediatrician for a professional assessment.

Milia: Little small dots on their face, particularly around the nose of newborns. These patches will begin to disappear shortly after.

Newborn Acne: surprisingly acne can show up before the teen years! You may notice some reddish bumps on the forehead and cheeks. It should disappear on its own within a few months.

After being curled up in a fetal position within the warmth of your uterus it will take some time your baby needs time to adjust to the openness of a new world. Those skinny arms and legs will take more form and begin to stretch out from the body.

Genitals: The overall appearance of some newborn's genitals will change "In boys, swelling of the scrotum can be quite impressive and the tissue very red. In girls, the vulva is extremely swollen and also darker in color, both largely the result of the mother's hormones," says Steven P. Shelov, MD, chairman of pediatrics at Maimonides Medical Center,New York City. In addition, "The vaginal mucosa is very hormone sensitive, so once the mother's hormones are out of the baby's system, there will be a little bleeding. It usually occurs within 72 hours and then stops," says Shelov. The enlarged genitals in boys and girls lasts a bit longer -- about a month.

Hair: Some baby's are born with a head full of hair, while others are completely bald. The overall texture of the hair will change during the first year, some times becoming more coarse. As well straight hair may suddenly become wavy or curly. As well babies loose a portion of hair, naturally or develop bald spots. Some curls may begin to form or you may find coarser, tighter ringlets growing in place of your baby's loose, fine curls, for example. In addition,hair color can change during the first year blond hair can gradually turn brown.