Your baby

Soon after birth you’ll be able to look properly at your baby and notice every detail – the colour and texture of the hair, the shape of the hands and feet, and the different expressions on your baby’s face. If you notice anything that worries you, however small, ask your doctor or midwife. Your baby will be examined by a doctor to make sure everything is all right. It’s a good time to ask any questions you might have.

The navel

Shortly after birth the midwife will clamp the umbilical cord close to your baby’s navel with a plastic clip. She then cuts the cord, leaving a small bit of cord with the clamp attached. The cord will take about a week to dry out and drop off. Keep the navel clean and dry until this happens. The midwife will show you how. If you notice any bleeding from the navel, tell your midwife, health visitor or doctor.

Guthrie Test

About a week after birth, your midwife will ask to take a tiny sample of blood from your baby’s heel. This is to test for rare but potentially serious illnesses. All babies are tested for phenylketonuria (a metabolic disorder) and hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone). In some areas babies are tested for blood abnormalities like sickle cell disease and* thalassaemia All these tests are done from a single blood sample.

Vitamin K

We all need vitamin K to make our blood clot properly so that we won’t bleed too easily. Some newborn babies have too little vitamin K. Although this is rare, it can cause them to bleed dangerously into the brain. To prevent this, you should be offered vitamin K which will be given to your baby.

Pregnancy and parenting

We don’t yet know which is the safest way of giving vitamin K, whether by injection or by mouth. Your doctor or midwife will help you to choose the method you prefer.

The fontanelle

On the top of your baby’s head near the front, is a diamond-shaped patch where the skull bones haven’t yet fused together. This is called the ontanelle. It will probably be a year or more before the bones close over it. You may notice it moving as your baby breathes. You needn’t worry about touching it. There is a tough layer of membrane under the skin.

Bumps and bruises

It’s quite common for a newborn baby to have some swelling and bruises on the head, and perhaps to have bloodshot eyes. This is just the result of the squeezing and pushing that is part of being born and will soon disappear. But if you are at all worried, you can always ask your midwife.

Birthmarks and spots

Once you begin to look closely at your baby, you’ll probably find a variety of little marks and spots, mainly on the head and face, or sometimes larger marks. Most of them will go away eventually. Ask the doctor who examines your baby if they will disappear completely. Most common are the little pink or red marks some people call ‘stork bites’. These V-shaped marks on the forehead and upper eyelids gradually fade, though it may be some months before they disappear. Marks on the nape of the neck can go on much longer, but they will be covered by hair.

Strawberry marks are quite common. They are dark red and slightly raised. They sometimes appear a few days after birth and gradually get bigger. They may take a while to go away, but usually they will go away eventually.

Spots and rashes are very common in newborn babies and may come and go. But if you also notice a change in your baby’s behaviour, for example if your baby is not feeding properly or is very sleepy or very irritable, you should tell your doctor or midwife immediately.

Breasts and genitals

Quite often a newborn baby’s breasts are a little swollen and ooze some milk, whether the baby is a boy or a girl. Girls also sometimes bleed a bit or have a white, cloudy discharge from the vagina. All this is as a result of hormones passing from the mother to the baby before birth and is no cause for concern. The genitals of male and female newborn babies often appear rather swollen but will look in proportion with their bodies in a few weeks.

Jaundice

On about the third day after birth, some babies develop a yellow colour to their skin and a yellowness in the whites of their eyes because of mild jaundice. This usually fades within ten days or so. But a baby who becomes badly* jaundiced may need treatment .

What a newborn baby can do

There is one important skill that babies don’t have to learn. They are born knowing how to suck. During the first few days they learn to coordinate their sucking and their breathing.

Newborn babies also automatically turn towards a nipple or teat if it is brushed against one cheek and they will open their mouths if their upper lip is stroked. They can also grasp things (like your finger) with either hands or feet and they will make stepping movements if they are held upright on a flat surface. All these automatic responses except sucking, are lost within a few months, and your baby will begin to make controlled movements instead.

Newborn babies can use all their senses. They will look at people and things, especially if they are near, and particularly at people’s faces. They will enjoy gentle touch, and the sound of a soothing voice and they will react to bright light and noise. Very soon they will also know their mother’s special

smell.

Information provided by Health Promotion England.