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TAKING CARE OF NEW BORN
The first glimpse of the baby is very exciting time for every parent. If it is your first baby you may not be quiet prepared for what a newborn actually look like. Many mothers like to bring up the child not according to what they are but what they expected him to be. Thus, parents sometimes make tomboys of their daughters or dress up their boys in girls’ clothes even when they are two or three years of age. This attitude may give them some satisfaction but it certainly harms the child.
“Is he alright?” is invariably the first question a mother asks. And the second question of every mother is “What is his weight?” All babies lose weight immediately after the birth. But they return to their birth weight within the first ten days. The baby should weigh approximately 3kg. (6 ½ lbs.). If he weighs less than 2.3 kgs. (5lbs) he may need special care. Such babies must be examined by the doctor.
SKIN
The skin of a newborn is usually covered with a cheesy material, which disappears, by itself. There may be some irregular areas on the head and on other parts of the body, which are called birthmarks. Most of these tend to disappear as the baby grows. Many babies have large bluish patches on the back, often around the hips. These are also birthmarks. Most birthmarks of this kind disappear in time, although a few may remain permanently. If however, you are concerned about some marks on the child’s face, consult your doctor. In some babies, the color of the skin turns slightly yellow about 48 hours after birth, because the liver has not fully matured. This is a normal phenomenon, which gradually disappears within three or four days after its first appearance. However, if the baby’s skin turn yellow within the first 48 hours or the color seems to increase in intensity, it is essential to consult a doctor immediately.
HEAD
The head of the newborn is usually of an odd shape in the beginning, prominent in some places and flat in the others. You should not worry about this as the head takes its normal shape within two or three days after birth. It is desirable to change the sleeping position of the baby frequently. In some parts of India, the baby is put in a hammock. This type of cot provides uniform pressure to all sides of the head. The newborn’s face may also be asymmetrical; this is due to the posture of the foetus in the womb.
LEGS
The newborn’s feet and legs may, at first, look abnormal; the legs may be bowed. This is the result of the position of the foetus in the womb. These mild abnormalities will gradually disappear by themselves.
EYES
The baby keeps his eyes shut most of the time. He may blink at a bright light but is unable to see the details of an object. He starts focusing and begins to follow the light at the age of six weeks. The usage of Kohl (Kajal or surma) in the baby’s eyes may cause infection and discharge in the eyes. Many surma’s and Kajals contain lead, which can be poisonous if used over prolonged period of time. Most of the constituents of surma or kajal are washed away during bathing or they pass down into the nose through a little opening between the eyes and nose called nasolacrimal duct. This duct is very small and therefore gets blocked easily. The blockage may cause infection and discharge from the eyes. Clean the eyes with a piece of cotton boiled in water and later cooled. Massage the area of duct gently. Be careful not to have long fingernails. If these measures do not help, consult your doctor. |
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