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.

• Advertisement

  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!

Rate this article Poor 1 2 3 4 5 Excellent

JOBS

Analyst Developer (Contract) R25,000-35,000 Per Month Western Cape Senior Accountant R300,000-360,000 Per Annum Cost To Company Gauteng - North/Sandton Assistant Financial Manager (Contract) R300,000-360,000 Per Annum Cost To Company Gauteng - North/Sandton Accounts Payable Team Leader R300,000-350,000 Per Annum Cost To Company Gauteng - Johannesburg Financial Manager R500,000-600,000 Per Annum Cost To Company South Africa Corporate Finance Manager (Chartered Accountant) AA preferred R500,000-620,000 Per Annum Cost To Company South Africa Senior PHP Developer Western Cape Data Capturer Gauteng - Pretoria Find more jobs Register your CV Post a job