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Most parents immediately claim how beautiful their babies are, but let’s be honest: a newborn baby is quite a strange looking creature.
What are some of the features?
- The baby’s head looks out of proportion. It is about a quarter of his/her total length.
- The skin may be pinkish. If circulation was poor in the early hours of life, it may have a bluish tint.
- The body is covered with yellowish, cheesy-looking vernix caseosa.
- Pre-term babies will probably be covered with lanugo (thin, downy hair).
- Babies who are overdue may be born with dry, peeling skin as the vernix which covered it may have started to dissolve.
- The eyes may appear squinty and may be blood-shot.
- The face may be slightly misshapen for several days. The nose may be flattened and the chin pushed in from being squeezed through the pelvis.
- There may be swelling and bruises on the skull and face from pushing through the birth canal, particularly after forceps or vacuum extraction.
- Breasts and genitals may be swollen.
- The ears may appear crumpled but will straighten out after a few days.
- Your baby may begin to go yellow with newborn jaundice by the second or third day.
Don’t despair, these features will disappear in the next few weeks!
