How Does Newborn Screening Happen
There are three parts to newborn screening:
Average Head Circumference Of A Newborn
The average head circumference of a newborn is around 13 to 14 inches, which is 1-inch greater than the measurements of their chest and abdomen. Take note that the circumference can change depending on whether it was a normal delivery or a breech birth where the feet appear before the head.
A pediatrician will monitor your babys growth through the weight, length and circumference of the babys head every check-up. This way, your pediatrician will determine which percentile your little one falls under during the first few months or years.
Signs Your Newborn May Be Sick
Although it may not be always possible to be sure if you have to call the doctor, some of the issues with your newborn that may need a doctors advice include the following:
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You Might Worry Your Newborn Isnt Pooping Enough Keep In Mind Every Baby Is Different
The number of times a baby poops seems to be one of the first ways we start comparing our babies to a standard. Every babys body is different. Even if their older sibling pooped at a different frequency, that doesnt mean your newest baby will be the same way.
Dont worry too much about how often your baby is pooping unless they show theyre showing several of the symptoms of constipation.
Remember, very hard, black stools or the presence of blood or no bowel movements in excess of 5 days requires a checkup from your pediatrician.
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Hi, I’m Sarah
Mum of two outrageously gorgeous and ridiculously energetic toddlers A.K.A. not so little, Littllees. Im determined to give them the best without losing my mind. I reckon its possible. Most days.
I love a challenge and have to find out they why, what or how to there are rather a lot of these when it comes to kids
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What Causes A Newborn To Pee Less
The newborn may urinate less if:
- It is summer.
- The climate is extremely cold.
- They have a fever.
- They are not drinking enough liquids . The darker the color, the more concentrated the urine.
Highly concentrated urine can cause the urine to appear pink and make the mother mistake it for blood in the urine. In such cases, mothers need not worry if the baby is wetting at least 4 diapers a day.
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How Long Can A Baby Go Without Pooping
Is 18 days too long to go without pooping? a mom of a 3-month-old asked. Believe it or not, yes, sometimes this is okay. How long is too long for an infant to go without pooping? The answer depends on age and diet, but most of the time babies that wont poop are fine with little or no treatment. Heres why babies can go a long time between bowel movements, and when you need to be concerned about constipation and other rare medical emergencies:
How Many Layers Of Clothes Should A Newborn Wear
For many first-time parents, the question, How many layers of clothes should newborn wear? has probably crossed their minds a couple of times. Baby dressing etiquette can be difficult to get right at the beginning. Newborns cannot regulate their body temperature like adults, they are more sensitive to weather conditions so dressing right is very important.
If the weather is cold your little one will require several layers. This may be one undershirt, diapers, pajamas, and finally a receiving blanket. If youre going out add a sleep sack. If the weather is hot your baby will do well with a single layer of clothing. If your baby is a pre-term they will need one extra layer in both hot and cold weather.
Also Check: How To Transition A Newborn To Sleep At Night
How Do I Make Sure My Baby Gets The Right Amount Of Sleep
Overstimulation during the day can cause your baby to either sleep too little or sleep when they should be eating, due to exhaustion. Newborn babies need to be fed frequently to ensure proper development.
If your newborn baby becomes overtired they will become fussy, and harder to settle for sleep. We’ve given age-targeted tips to help avoid overstimulation and improve your baby’s sleep in the sleep schedules below. For more information on how much sleep your baby needs and how long they should be sleeping at a time read How Much Do Newborns Sleep?
Learning your baby’s sleep cycle
While your baby has your nose or eyes, the two of you couldn’t be farther apart when it comes to sleep cycle! The main reason your newborn’s sleep patterns are unpredictable is because of their evolving sleep cycle.
Adults can easily pass from one sleep cycle into the next without completely waking up. Newborns, however, don’t stay in deep sleep for long periods at a time, so they are more susceptible to frequent wake-ups. Our post, Your Baby’s Sleep Cycle, explains more in-depth about how your baby’s sleep cycle is linked to their sleep patterns.
To learn more about the changes to your baby’s sleep cycle and how to cope with sleep regression, read our post 10 Tips to Surviving the 4 Month Sleep Regression.
What Sleeping Positions Are Best For A Newborn
Research has found a link between sudden infant death syndrome and babies who sleep on their stomach .
Experts now agree that putting a baby to sleep or down for a nap on his or her back is the safest position. Side-sleeping has a higher risk for SIDS than back sleeping. Other reports have found soft surfaces, loose bedding, and overheating with too many blankets also increase the risk for SIDS. When infants are put to sleep on their stomach and they also sleep on soft bedding, the risk for SIDS is even higher. Smoking by the mother is also a risk for SIDS, as are poor prenatal care and prematurity. Since the American Academy of Pediatrics made the “back-to-sleep” recommendation in 1992, the SIDS rate has dropped more than 50%.
Back sleeping also appears to be safer for other reasons. There is no evidence that babies are more likely to vomit or spit up while sleeping on their back. In fact, choking may be more likely in the prone position.
A task force of The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the AAP, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development offer the following recommendations for infant bedding:
The AAP recommends that parents room share but not bed share. The report advises the following:
To prevent overheating, the report recommends that the infant should be lightly clothed for sleep and the room temperature kept comfortable for a lightly clothed adult. Avoid overbundling, and check the baby’s skin to make sure it is not hot to the touch.
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Feeding And Sleeping Patterns
Most babies sleep for less than 4 hours at a time then they wake to feed. Most newborns will sleep for about 16 hours every 24 hours.
Every baby is different so you shouldnt impose rigid schedules in the first few months. This helps your baby get what they need. It also helps you establish your milk supply by feeding whenever your baby wants to feed for as long as they want. The feed, play, sleep cycle is better for you and your baby than following a rigid schedule.
Make sure you always sleep the baby on their back with their head and face uncovered. The safest place for them to sleep is in a safe cot next to your bed. Never let the baby come into contact with cigarette smoke.
Newborn Babies Poop Frequently
Newborn babies often poop after every feeding, about 6 times per day. In the first few weeks after delivery, your babys intestines are maturing and becoming more efficient at extracting nutrition from breast milk or formula. As their intestines get better at digesting food, the time between bowel movements gets longer and longer. Before you know it, you have a two-month-old that is going several days without dirtying their diaper.
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How Does A Newborn’s Weight Change In The First Month
The average newborn dimensions are a reflection of parental genetics, maternal health during the pregnancy, and position in the birth order in the family. The average birth weight for a full-term infant is 7 lb. 11 oz. The range of normal weights is from 5 lb. 8 oz. to 8 lb. 13 oz. Infants with birth weights outside of this range warrant a detailed obstetrical history since some issues causing a birth weight outside of this range may persist into infancy and childhood. The weight of male infants is statistically approximately 3 oz. greater than their female counterparts. Many parents discovered that the weight of subsequent children commonly increases with each pregnancy. Finally, larger parents commonly have larger children.
Babies will commonly lose 5%-7% of their birth weight during their first few days of life. This is a reflection of limited intake relative to urine and stool output. However, at 2 weeks of age, their weight should be back to the birth weight. Regardless of mechanism of feeding or fluid received , weight loss in excess of 10% represents a significant concern and deserves a thorough and complete evaluation by the newborn’s pediatrician. During the first weeks postpartum, newborns will gain approximately 1 ounce per day — that implies a 1-pound weight gain every two weeks.
Consult With Your Pediatrician Before Giving Your Baby Water
Do not give your baby water. Although dehydration can be a cause of constipation, do not give your infant water unless instructed to do so by a physician. Giving water to infants can result in electrolyte disturbances that can be serious and sometimes fatal. Breast milk and formula contain just the right amount of sodium, chloride, potassium, and other electrolytes. When you give water you can dilute these electrolytes. Although your babys kidneys should correct for electrolyte changes, too much water can be more than their kidneys can correct.
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What To Expect In Early Checkups
First-time mothers and fathers may become worried if their babys weight decreases during the first few days after birth. There is no need to feel alarmed. This is entirely normal because infants are born with extra fluids that will be eliminated thus causing their weights to go down. Weight gain starts to occur after five days, so by day 10 babies have most likely regained the weight that they lost.
Your pediatrician will monitor your babys height and weight and head circumference based on a standard growth chart. This chart determines how fast your baby has grown compared to other babies of the same age. The following details what to expect during the early checkups of your baby.
How Often Should A Breastfed Baby Poop
Breastfed babies may go several days between bowel movements since the digestible content of breastmilk is extremely high they use and digest most of it. For this reason, it can take several days for your baby to build up enough waste to need to poop.
So, once or twice a week might be the norm for a breastfed newborn and this low frequency will continue until weaning onto solids.
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Babies Often Get Constipated When They Switch To Cows Milk
Once a Baby Starts Cows Milk At 12 Months of Age, they often get constipated. Cows milk is very constipating but is important for calcium and vitamin D in your babys diet. Are you considering another kind of milk for your baby or toddler, such as organic, raw, almond, soy, rice, or omega-3 fortified? Each of these has certain risks and benefits, so be sure to read up on milk before you make a switch.
As your one-year-old transitions off breastmilk or formula, be sure to include plenty of fruits and veggies in their diet as a natural laxative. Prepare toddler foods are convenient for traveling and time crunches, but research shows they contain high levels of salt and sugar. Dr. Sisk writes about how to be a savvy shopper for toddler food.
When To Contact Your Doctor About Your Newborns Poo Troubles
First-time mothers get a bad rap for calling the doctor at every little concern.
Dont ever hesitate to call your childs pediatrician if something does not seem right to you
At 3 weeks old, my daughter was suddenly sleeping a lot more I took her to the doctor just to be safe and she was immediately admitted with suspected meningitis. Fortunately, it was viral, not bacterial meningitis but Im so glad I took her in.
If your baby is exhibiting any of these symptoms, go ahead and call your pediatrician:
- Baby is exceptionally irritable, and nothing seems to be helping
- Baby is distressed with abdominal pain
- Baby has a bloody or black bowel movement
- Baby has ongoing constipation that is not improving
- Baby has gone more than ten days without a bowel movement
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When To Be Concerned About Newborn Development
See your child and family health nurse or GP if you have any concerns or notice that your one-month-old:
- is crying a lot and this is worrying you
- isnt feeding well
- is very tired or sleeps a lot more than expected for this age that is, more than around 16 hours a day
- isnt moving their arms or legs
- isnt responding to bright light or seeing things for example, isnt following your face with their eyes
- isnt making sounds like gurgling
- isnt hearing things for example, isnt startling to loud sounds or turning their head towards sounds
- isnt sleeping well.
You should also see your child and family health nurse or GP if you or your partner experiences the signs of postnatal depression in birthing mothers or postnatal depression in non-birthing parents. Symptoms of postnatal depression include feeling sad and crying for no obvious reason, feeling irritable, having difficulty coping and feeling very anxious.
Children grow and develop at different speeds. If youre worried about whether your childs development is normal, it might help to know that normal varies a lot. But if you still feel that something isnt quite right, see your child and family health nurse or GP.
When Should I Call The Doctor For My Newborn
Parenting brings along several challenges. Taking care of a newborn is not child’s play. No child comes with an instruction manual. With so many self-proclaimed newborn “experts” out there, you may often be left perplexed. There are times when you can be entirely clueless about what is the right thing to do for your baby. It’s perfectly normal to get worried about symptoms that may be harmless. It may, however, be risky at times to avoid seemingly harmless signs in your baby that may be due to serious health conditions.
The best rule is when in doubt, contact your doctor. Unnecessary visits to the doctor, however, may be a bit heavy on your savings and can even expose your baby to infections during health care visits.
The inability of the baby to communicate makes it difficult for the mothers to recognize the troubles that the baby is facing. Hence, it is necessary to either call the child specialist right away or visit them if the mother spots certain signs in the baby that include:
- Fewer than four wet diapers in 24 hours
- Dark yellow/orange/pink/red, concentrated, smelly urine that is also less in quantity
- Actual red spot on the diaper
Signs of dehydration:
- Dryness of lips and tongue
- The sinking of the soft spot on top of the baby’s head
- Poor feeding
Your pediatrician will assess your child thoroughly to see if the problem is due to a urinary tract infection or some other abnormality.
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