20 Facts About Newborns Nobody Really Wants to Talk About
Newborn Babies Do Not Cry Real Tears at Birth
Newborns cry, and their tear ducts are not developed at birth. They only produce enough moisture to keep their eyes moistened, but they do not shed tears like adults or older children do until they are around 2–4 weeks old. This sometimes may confuse new parents who believe that their baby is crying incorrectly. This is perfectly normal and part of the baby’s physiological development.
Infants Are Born With Extra Bones
About 300 bones compose a newborn’s body, which decreases to approximately 206 by adulthood. Of course, a few bones become fused during maturity, for instance, those in the cranium and vertebrae of the backbone. The flexibility in the infants’ bodies enables them to come through the birth passage easily while undergoing birth. Furthermore, the baby’s additional bones help during a rapid increase when they are born. More bones remind the human body of its potentiality as well as things it could alter.
Newborn Babies Recognize Mother’s Voice
When babies come out, the mother’s voice is so recognizable because a baby hears months of her voice inside the uterus. Such is comforting to a baby and allows room for bonding a moment after one’s birth. Research has shown that a newborn is assuaged and calmed by one’s mother as it is well-known that an umbilical bond is too deep before and during birth.
The Smell of Meconium Does Not Exist
Meconium is the very first face of the baby. It is thick and sticky, with an almost greenish-black color. It contains the substances swallowed by the baby in the mother’s womb, including amniotic fluid and skin cells. It is amazing how meconium does not have an odor since it does not contain bacteria. That is why new parents are sometimes shocked when receiving diapers.
Babies Breathe Faster
Baby breathes faster, around 40–60 per minute at rest or on awakening, with incomplete lungs or less development and reduced sizes resulting in an operational working hard. Being in control will reduce the many unheeded scares of newly wed parents on a baby who seems just fine.
They Have Weird and Wondrous Reflexes
Newborns also have a number of special reflexes including the Moro reflex (startle response), rooting reflex (turning toward a touch on the cheek), and grasp reflex (closing their hand around a finger). All of these are important to survival and disappear in a few months. It’s pretty cool to witness such an inborn response in the infant; it’s actually a sign of healthy development.
Skin Conditions Are Common
Most newborns tend to have skin issues that are generally temporary, such as baby acne, cradle cap, or peeling. They resolve without much trouble and are nothing to worry about. These come mainly from hormonal changes or the baby’s adjustment to air after being confined in a watery womb for so long. Arm parents with this information, and most of their anxiety will be lifted because they’ll know their baby probably is going to outgrow those conditions.
Newborns Sleep a Lot—But Not Continuously
Newborns sleep 16–18 hours a day, but not in long stretches. Their sleep is divided into 2–3 hour periods. Their small stomachs need to be fed frequently. It can be draining for parents to have irregular sleep patterns, but it’s normal development. By 3–6 months, babies tend to begin sleeping in longer blocks.
They Can’t See Far
Newborn babies can only see with a field of view limited to about 8–12 inches. This distance allows them to look at their caregiver’s face when feeding. Their eyes are also sensitive to bright light; hence, they like softer lights. Within a couple of months, their vision becomes sharp with detecting movement and recognizing colors.
Hair Might Fall Off
After most babies have been in the world for a few months, they shed their hair. Again, this is from hormonal changes that inform the baby’s hair that it is supposed to fall off. The new hair that starts coming in has an excellent possibility of being quite a different color or texture so, often shocks parents. This is considered normal and as such falls into the category of telogen effluvium.
Babies Smell Different
They have a “new baby smell” that parents like and is credited to vernix caseosa, a waxy coating on the baby’s skin at birth. This usually disappears after two or three weeks but is deemed to be a bonding agent since it triggers affectionate and defensive responses in carers.
They Like High-Pitched Voices
Their inborn attraction is always to the very high-pitched sound, which makes adults produce a sing-song tone while interacting with newborns-something referred to as infant-directed speech. Such forms of communication increase the chance that babies can attach themselves to these caregivers through common communication patterns and serve as the beginnings of language as well as feelings of bonding overtime.
They Smell Better Than Adults
Newborns have more taste buds than adults and can feel sweet, sour, and bitter. However, instinctively, babies love sweetness, which is why breast milk and formula are a little sweet. As they grow and are fed various foodstuffs, their sense of taste diminishes.
Newborns Can Get Goosebumps
Just like adults, newborns get goosebumps when they are cold or frightened. It is one of the most ancient, unlearned reflexes which help in maintaining body heat. But babies cannot effectively preserve their own body heat. So, they should be kept warm and dressed up suitably.
Their Hearts Beat Rapidly
The heart will always be beating at an aggressive rate in a baby. An adult’s heartbeat can never reach beyond 120–160 beats per minute, which is enough oxygenated blood to be supplied to the very fast-growing bodies. By the time such babies grow into adults, the heartbeat is settled at an average rate of 60–100 beats per minute.
They Will Be Born with an Olfactory Sense Ability
Infants are developed in their ability to smell since birth, but they can even detect their mother’s smell days after delivery. This makes it possible for them to hold onto the caregiver and subsequently locate the food source. That is why certain smells, like breast milk, can immediately calm down a crying infant.
They Have Hyper Brain Growth
This is a time of great growth in cognitive and emotional development since the baby’s brain doubles in size during the first year. All this growth is supported well by a stimulating environment filled with love, interaction, and sensory experiences. Simple things like talking, singing, and gentle play make all the difference.
Babies Dream, Too
Newborns spend around 50% of their time sleeping in REM sleep, during which they tend to dream. Since the newborn doesn’t know what they are dreaming about, this stage plays a crucial role in developing the brain. Their high frequency of dreaming could be associated with the processing of new experiences and stimuli coming from the external environment.
They Don’t Have Kneecaps
Their kneecaps are soft when they are born. They consist of cartilage that will develop into bone at a later age. In short, they would be a little more flexible, so they can move around without getting hurt during the process as they crawl and eventually walk.
Their Digestive System Is Still Developing
It has already been mentioned that for newborn babies who frequently gas and spit up, their digestive system is probably not mature to the extent they require. It can, therefore, create problems with hiccups and sometimes even colic for the parents-to-be, i.e., for patients, more often than just feeding them to burp when necessary.
Parents can place a lot of faith in their newborn if they are thoroughly aware of the facts about the newborn that other people do not know. Though small and fragile, newborn babies have surprisingly great amount of strength and endurance. Acceptance of these features makes the bond between the parents and children much more intimate while bringing wonder to human development.
