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Baby's first 24 hours | Pregnancy Birth and Baby
Baby's first 24 hours | Pregnancy Birth and Baby beginning of content5-minute read
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The first day of your new baby’s life is thrilling and exhausting for both of you. This page explains what your newborn baby can sense, and how the umbilical cord and placenta can be managed. It has general information for you if you have had a healthy, full-term pregnancy – 37 to 42 weeks’ gestation.
What will my newborn baby look like?
When your baby is born, their skin might be blue and mottled. They are likely to be covered in amniotic fluid, blood and vernix, which is a cheesy white substance. This is normal.
Their skin will start to become pink as they start to breathe — which is about a minute after birth. Your baby’s hands and feet may still appear blueish for several hours.
The amniotic fluid and the vernix are there because they were there in the womb. They are important for your baby to be able to smell and taste after birth. These familiar things help your baby to feel secure outside the womb.
Birth of the placenta and cutting the umbilical cord
After you have given birth to your baby, you will have more contractions that will help you deliver the placenta. Once this happens, the umbilical cord, which is connected to the placenta, will be clamped in two places and cut. Your support person might be invited to cut the cord.
Skin-to-skin contact
After a normal vaginal birth, your newborn baby will be put on your chest for skin-to-skin contact. Your baby needs sleep and food, and they need to feel secure and warm, so they need to feel your skin.
Doing this simple thing:
- reduces newborn crying
- helps start and sustain breastfeeding
- helps maintain your baby’s body temperature
After this first contact, they will be weighed, measured and observed to make sure they are healthy.
If you have a caesarean section, ask your midwife to make sure your baby has skin-to-skin contact with you as early as possible. It may be possible for you or your partner to hold your baby-skin-to skin in theatre and in recovery.
Feeding
Babies start to show signs of wanting to feed soon after birth and usually attach and suck at the breast about 50 minutes after birth. They may then breastfeed for an hour or more. Put your baby against your chest, and they will probably find your breast and start feeding. If that doesn’t happen, you can ask your midwife or a lactation consultant for help.
The first milk you make is called 'colostrum'. It’s thick and often yellowish, rather than pure white. It’s the ideal milk for your baby. Normally a small amount is produced — your baby’s tummy is just the size of a marble.
If they haven’t fed an hour or so after birth, try again a couple of hours later. You can also express some colostrum to feed to your baby on a spoon.
Weighing and measuring
After skin-to-skin contact and the first breastfeed, your midwife might offer to weigh your baby, and measure your baby’s length and head circumference. Your baby doesn’t need to be washed for at least 24 hours.
Vitamin K
At the time of weighing, your midwife will also offer to give your baby a vitamin K injection to prevent bleeding from vitamin K deficiency.
Cord blood collection if you are Rh negative
If your blood group is Rh negative, some blood will be taken from the umbilical cord to determine whether your baby’s blood group is compatible.
Sleeping
Your baby will stay with you so you can bond and respond easily to their needs. They’ll probably sleep soon after their first feed, and that might last 6 hours or so. They will probably sleep for more than half of their first day in the world.
Apgar scores
One of the main observations made after birth is called an Apgar score. It assesses your baby’s adjustment to life outside the womb. The Apgar score is measured at 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth while the baby is on your chest. Sometimes it is measured again at 10 minutes after birth.
It records your baby’s heart rate, breathing, colour, muscle tone and reflexes. The maximum score is 10. A score of 7 or above usually means your baby is doing well. It is not an ability or intelligence test, and it doesn’t predict your baby’s health later in life.
What will my newborn baby see, hear, smell, taste and feel?
Your baby has been listening to your voice for the last half of your pregnancy and will recognise it when you speak to them after birth. Your partner or support person’s voice may also be familiar if they have also been talking near your baby. Your baby will feel secure when they hear your voices and may respond by turning their head towards you. Your baby will also be able to hear your heart beating as they did in the womb.
Your baby’s vision is blurred at birth but they will be able to focus on your face from about 30 centimetres away. This is called the ‘cuddle distance’. It is roughly the distance from your breast to your face. Your baby will make the connection between what they hear and what they see.
Your baby will smell and taste the amniotic fluid and your colostrum, which has a similar flavour.
Urine and meconium
Within the first 24 hours your baby will probably pass urine and meconium (newborn faeces) at least once. Meconium is black and sticky. Your baby’s poo will change colour and consistency over the next few days.
More information
You can call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby, 7 days a week on 1800 882 436 to speak with a maternal child health nurse to find out more.
Sources:
Cochrane (Early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (NICE Guideline CG37: Postnatal care up to 8 weeks after birth), World Health Organization (WHO) (Recommendations on newborn health), Raising Children Network (After baby is born: what to expect in the first few hours), Australian Breastfeeding Association (Breastfeeding timeline)Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.
Last reviewed: September 2022
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What Is Vernix Caseosa and What Is Its Function
Babies are often born covered in a creamy-looking substance called vernix caseosa, a protective film that benefits sensitive newborn skin. Read on to learn more about what vernix is, what its function is, why some babies are born with the coating still on, and when you should first bathe your baby if your little one was born with lots of vernix still on.
What Is Vernix Caseosa?
Vernix caseosa, or vernix for short, is a white, cheesy-looking substance that coats the skin of your baby while in the uterus. Some babies are born with some of this protective coating still on the skin. The meaning of the name vernix caseosa is “varnish of a cheesy nature.” During your pregnancy, vernix plays an essential role, acting as a waterproof barrier to protect your baby’s skin against the amniotic fluid that surrounds her until she is born. A naturally occurring biofilm, vernix begins to cover your baby’s skin during the second trimester. The sebaceous glands — which are responsible for producing oil in the skin —begin to produce the vernix coating at around 17 weeks of pregnancy.
Vernix caseosa is simply a creamy, greasy substance mostly composed of water, lipids, and proteins. It contains enzymes and other innate immune proteins that have antibacterial properties.
What Are the Benefits of Vernix Caseosa?
You can think of vernix caseosa as a protective layer for your baby’s skin. It helps shield his delicate skin from abrasions, chapping, and hardening that could be caused by prolonged exposure to amniotic fluid, and it also has some benefits for your baby after birth.
The Benefits of Vernix Caseosa in the Womb
Before your baby is born, vernix caseosa’s function in utero is to:
Protect the fetus from damaging substances, like urea and electrolytes, in the amniotic fluid.
Help with thermoregulation.
During a vaginal delivery, vernix acts as a lubricant and a protective biofilm, and also acts as an antimicrobial cover against any bacteria in the genital tract.
The Benefits of Vernix Caseosa After Birth
Vernix also has a few benefits for your baby after she is born:
It acts as a natural moisturizer. Vernix could help prevent your newborn’s skin from becoming dry.
Its high water content helps lock moisture into the skin and reduces moisture loss.
It may have antibacterial properties. Vernix could protect your newborn baby from getting a skin infection shortly after birth.
It has antioxidant properties. Vernix contains antioxidants like vitamin E and melanin, which help slow down cell damage due to free radicals.
When to Wash the Vernix Off
In the past, most hospitals and birthing centers would bathe babies within an hour or two of birth. Now, however, this practice is changing, as more is known about the benefits of vernix and the benefits of postponing the first bath.
When your baby is born, he’ll be covered in amniotic fluid, perhaps some blood, and potentially some vernix. It’s natural to want to bathe your baby, but you may also be wondering whether there are benefits in leaving the vernix on for longer, especially given all its benefits.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends waiting at least 6 hours before bathing the newborn baby and ideally waiting about 24 hours. The WHO also recommends not wiping off the vernix at birth.
The main reasons to wait with your baby’s first bath include:
Keeping your little one warm and stabilizing blood sugar levels. Babies who are bathed too soon after birth are more likely to become cold and could develop hypothermia. The stress of having a bath right after birth could also cause a drop in blood sugar levels.
Allowing time for breastfeeding and bonding. The “golden hour” period right after you give birth is great for skin-to-skin contact and parent-child bonding. This shared time can also help with early breastfeeding. In fact, one study found a 166 percent increase in hospital breastfeeding success when infants were bathed 12 hours or more after birth compared to those babies who were bathed within hours of birth.
Helping prevent dry skin. Leaving vernix on the skin for a few hours can help keep newborn skin supple and hydrated.
How Long Can You Leave Vernix Caseosa on Your Baby?
The WHO recommends leaving vernix on your baby’s skin for at least 6 hours but preferably 24 hours.
If you’re considering leaving it on for longer, ask your baby’s healthcare provider how long it remains beneficial to leave the vernix coating on your baby’s skin and how long to wait with your little one’s first bath.
What Is Lanugo?
Other than vernix, you might also notice a layer of downy hair on your baby’s skin at birth — this is called lanugo.
Lanugo covered your baby’s skin during the latter part of your pregnancy and is usually shed before birth. The presence of lanugo while your baby was in the womb helped the vernix stick to the skin. Lanugo is actually the first type of hair your baby has!
About 30 percent of babies are born with some lanugo still present. It's more likely to be present if your little one is born prematurely.
If your baby was born with some lanugo still on, it usually sheds within a week or two.
The Bottom Line
Vernix caseosa has lots of benefits for your baby both when he is still in the womb and in the hours after birth.
If you can, wait six hours or more before bathing your little one. This won’t just have benefits for your baby’s skin, but it also gives you more time to focus on bonding, skin-to-skin contact, and even on breastfeeding if this is something you would like to try.
Although you might think it’s a little icky and sticky to leave the vernix on, its beneficial properties are important for your baby, and it won’t be long before you’ll have your freshly washed baby skin to kiss and cuddle.
In the meantime, wrap your baby in a soft blanket and enjoy these unforgettable first few hours with your baby, safe in the knowledge that the coating of vernix is also working to protect your baby’s delicate skin.
For more information on baby skin care, read up on caring for delicate newborn skin.
Baby in the maternity hospital: the first days of life
Immediately after birth
As soon as the baby is born, the midwife takes him in her arms and immediately begins to care for him. And there are no trifles here. Imagine: a baby is born wet, he has just been in his mother's body, where the temperature was 36.6 ° C, now he enters the maternity block, where the air temperature is about 24 ° C. This is a warm and comfortable environment for you and me, and for a baby, the difference of these 12 ° C is quite large. Thermoregulation in young children is still imperfect, they do not retain heat well and quickly cool down, and then there is also moist skin and a sharp temperature drop. Therefore, the first thing the midwife does is wipe the baby with a warm diaper and lay it on the mother's stomach. Several factors come into play here: firstly, physical contact with the mother will maintain the child’s body temperature and warm him. Secondly, it will strengthen the psychological bond between mother and baby. And, thirdly, the child's sterile organism will be populated with new maternal microorganisms that will protect it from conditionally pathogenic or pathogenic microflora of the environment.
The next important moment is that the umbilical cord is cut for the newborn, the neonatologist examines the baby and puts an Apgar score. This scale is needed in order to determine which children need more attention. According to this scale, the health status of each newborn is assessed on five indicators: heart rate, respiration, muscle tone, reflexes, and skin color of the baby. During the examination, for each sign (heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflexes and skin color) give 0, 1 or 2 points. A score of 2 points in the delivery room is considered the highest and means that the sign is pronounced, 1 point - weakly expressed, 0 points - the sign is absent. The child is evaluated on the Apgar scale at the 1st and 5th minutes of life, so there are always two scores, for example 8/9points or 9/10 points. Children rarely score the maximum 10 points in the first minute of life, and usually the first score is always lower than the second. But the second assessment can just be equal to 10 points. Children who score between 7 and 10 are considered to be in good condition and generally require only routine care. Those who score between 4 and 6 are in fair condition and may only need some resuscitation procedures. Immediate life-saving assistance is necessary for those whose score is below 4. Apgar score - no matter what it will be (low or high) - this is not a diagnosis. This is a signal for the doctor about what measures are now needed or, conversely, the child does not need.
Next, the neonatologist continues to examine the newborn. The doctor looks at how the baby is formed, whether he has any developmental anomalies or any other problems. After that, the newborn is washed, measured, weighed, and a tag with the name of the mother and the time of birth is attached to the handles. Then the child is wrapped in a diaper and applied to the mother's breast. Almost always at this time (within 10–20 minutes after birth), the baby calms down and falls asleep. What happens next depends on the design of the maternity hospital. In some maternity hospitals, for the next two hours, the mother and the newborn are in the maternity ward, in others the child is taken to the children's ward. In any case, if there is an opportunity to be together, you must ask to leave the baby next to you, if the child feels well, this is quite possible.
With mother or in the children's department
Now almost everywhere you can be with a child both together and separately. But again, it all depends on the device of the maternity hospital. If a woman lies separately from the baby, then she will take him for feeding. The sisters of the children's department will take care of the child, wash, change diapers, change clothes. But you need to understand that they do this according to a schedule that is the same for all children in the department, and not according to the individual needs of the child.
If the child lies with his mother, then his regimen is already determined by her. Mom can feed the baby on demand, and not by the hour, as with a separate stay. And she also changes the diaper or changes it when it is really necessary (the child peed and the diaper is full), and not according to some schedule that is the same for everyone. It turns out that a connection is established between mother and child faster, it is easier for a woman to understand what the baby needs, why he is crying and what to do with him. If a mother already at the maternity hospital learns to wash and change a child, change his diaper, upon returning home, she will adapt much easier to a new life and a new daily routine. The second important plus of living together is that breastfeeding is established faster, and when feeding on demand, milk will come faster.
Some women believe that after giving birth they need to rest, be apart from the child, they say, they are taking care of him in the children's department, and for now I will come to my senses and get used to my new state. Yes, if the birth was difficult and the mother endured it hard, then you need to rest. But since childbirth is still a physiological process, a woman recovers very quickly and even after a difficult birth, on the second day, she may well take the child to her ward. After all, judge for yourself - she won’t have to do anything special: she doesn’t cook dinner (the maternity hospital provides food), then she doesn’t wash the dishes, she doesn’t clean or wash anything (the maternity hospital even gives out clean clothes daily). Almost all newborns do not cry in the first days after childbirth, but sleep all the time, and it turns out that the only concern of the mother is to breastfeed the baby several times a day and change the diaper. So a woman will have enough time to rest, and why not use it for business? And one more thing: those who gave the child to the children's department like to blame later that he was supplemented with formula there, although the woman asked not to do this. But imagine the situation: the child cried, his sister examined him - he was washed, changed clothes, that is, everything is in order with him, but he, nevertheless, cries.
What will mom do - take the baby in her arms, shake, calm. But the sister of the children's department has many more children nearby, they also need to be looked after. What is the way out - either give a bottle with a mixture or wait for other children to “turn on” from the endless crying of the child.
First examinations, tests, vaccinations
While the newborn is in the hospital, he will be examined by a neonatologist every day. The doctor will either come to the ward to see the mother and the baby, or the child will be taken to the children's department. The doctor must coordinate all manipulations, appointments with the mother, and be sure to tell about all the results of the examination. But he himself will not be able to guess what exactly the woman is interested in, so doctors usually say the main thing, for example: "Everything is in order with the child, he has been examined, no pathology has been detected, he is gaining weight." If you need a more detailed answer, formulate your questions in advance, let's say again: the doctor does not know what interests you - how to care for the navel or why the child has a red spot on his face.
If necessary, the child will be examined by other specialists: an ophthalmologist or a neurologist. The newborn will be required to determine the blood type and Rh factor, and also take a blood test for severe congenital diseases (the so-called screening). The fact that these tests have been carried out will be indicated in the children's part of the exchange card (it will be issued upon discharge). The child may also be assigned some additional studies: a general and biochemical blood test, a general urine test. Also, if necessary, the newborn will undergo an ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs, brain (neurosonography), heart (echocardiography).
As for vaccinations, according to the national vaccination calendar, the first vaccinations are done at the maternity hospital. On the first day of life - from hepatitis B, on the full second day - from tuberculosis. If parents do not want to be vaccinated, then you must inform the doctor about this in advance and write a refusal to vaccinate.
Upon discharge from the maternity hospital, the mother will be given two parts of the exchange card. One of them will contain information about childbirth, and it will have to be taken to the antenatal clinic. The second part of the exchange card will contain data on the child, screening, vaccinations and examinations - it is given to the children's clinic. The next day after the mother and baby return home from the maternity hospital, they will be visited by the health visitor of the polyclinic, and the next day by the pediatrician. And now the specialists of the children's polyclinic will monitor the newborn.
As you can see, the child in the maternity hospital will be under control all the time. Mom, doctors, children's sisters - they will all give him the attention he needs. The main thing for a woman in a maternity hospital is to be active, ask doctors, nurses, learn how to care for a baby, and establish breastfeeding. And then she will return home as a confident and savvy mom!
- Apgar score - no matter what it will be (low or high) - this is not a diagnosis.
This is a signal for the doctor about what measures are now needed or, conversely, the child does not need
- If a woman lies separately from the baby, then she will take him to feed. The sisters of the children's department will take care of the child, wash, change diapers, change clothes. But you need to understand that they are doing this according to a schedule that is the same for all children in the department, and not according to the individual needs of the child
- Laying the baby on the stomach after childbirth will maintain his body temperature, strengthen the psychological bond between mother and baby. And the child’s sterile organism will be populated with new maternal microorganisms that will protect it from conditionally pathogenic or pathogenic microflora of the environment
Memo for mothers
While you are in the hospital
- If possible, take the child to your room. So you will quickly get used to it, establish breastfeeding and learn how to care for the baby.
- If you don't know how to wash, change or swaddle your baby, ask the Nursing Nurse to show you how to do it. Do it yourself at least a few times.
- Ask your midwife in the postnatal unit to show you how to properly latch your baby to the breast.
- Ask the neonatologist what examinations the child has undergone and what he would like to do in the future.
- Be active - ask the doctor and nurses any questions about the baby.
Attention! Prices for services in different clinics may vary. To clarify the current cost, select a clinic
Clinical Hospital IDKChildren's Clinic "Mother and Child" Samara
All directionsSpecialist consultations (children)Massage / manual therapy for childrenTherapeutic research
01.
Specialist consultations (children)
02.
Massage/manipulation for children
03.
Therapeutic research
9004 Nothing found0005
The administration of the clinic takes all measures to timely update the price list posted on the website, however, in order to avoid possible misunderstandings, we advise you to clarify the cost of services and the timing of the tests by calling
Babin Evgeny Alexandrovich
Pediatric surgeon, Orthopedic traumatologist, Pediatric orthopedic surgeon
Clinic "Mother and Child" South-West, Clinic "Mother and Child" Kuntsevo,
The baby was born, and we expect him to look like beautiful and pink babies from advertising pictures. And he is some kind of red, then suddenly turned yellow, on the skin or a rash, or peeling. In addition, the weight is still unstable, the chair is incomprehensible - is the child healthy? Healthy, and all these changes are the so-called transient (transitional) states. Where do they come from, what do they look like and what to do with it all?
The child sat in the mother's stomach for nine months, swam in the water and received oxygen through the placenta. As soon as the baby was born, his world immediately became different: instead of water around him, air, the ambient temperature dropped from 36.6-37 ° C to 22-25 ° C, plus gravity, sounds, smells, bright light. And now you have to breathe (lungs) yourself, eat differently, and then also remove metabolic products. And just like that, it is not easy for a newborn to immediately switch from one lifestyle to another, it takes time. That is why, from the point of view of physiology, in the first month of life, “something happens all the time” with children, and much more often and brighter than in later life. These are the transitory (transitional, boundary) states. All of them surprise and even frighten young parents, especially since transition states appear and disappear very quickly. But for newborns, they are completely natural. What moms and dads see most often are transitional states of skin, stool, weight, plus or minus a couple more conditions.
How the skin changes
The child was born, and we see that he is all sort of bluish-purple, and then his skin color immediately turns red. On the second day after birth, the baby "blushes" the brightest. Doctors call this redness "erythema simple" and it appears due to the fact that the skin adapts to a new environment. Then the child's skin turns pale and by the end of the first week of life it becomes the pale pink color we are used to.
But that's not all. On the third or fifth day of life, the baby's skin may begin to peel off, especially on the abdomen and chest. What's this? Does the child lack vitamins, something with nutrition, is the air too dry in the house? No, this is also a transitional state - physiological peeling, and it is also associated with the fact that the skin is adapting to a new life. The skin flakes for about a week, and then everything goes away. You don't need to do anything with it. Of course, you can treat the skin with various softening lotions and creams, but there will be no significant effect from them. Very soon, the baby's skin will become smooth and soft on its own.
Most of all, parents are afraid of a rash on the baby's skin, which does not often, but sometimes still appears in the first week of life. This is the so-called toxic erythema - spots with grayish-yellow seals in the center. The rash is most often located on the extensor surfaces of the arms and legs around the joints, on the chest. Less often, such spots can be on the whole body (except for the palms, feet and mucous membranes). “Maybe it’s chickenpox, rubella, or some other disease?” parents are afraid. No, this is a kind of reaction of the skin of a newly born baby to its environment, especially to hypothermia, overheating, contact with clothes, food. Within one to three days, new spots may appear, but more often two or three days after the onset, they all disappear without a trace. At the same time, the child’s well-being is not disturbed, the body temperature is normal and he does not need any medication. The only thing is that you need to take care of the bubbles on the skin: for example, gently blot them after bathing. And you also need to make sure that the bubbles do not rub and they do not burst (otherwise an infection may join them).
Physiological jaundice
The changes that are visible on the skin do not end there. Very often (in 60-70% of children) on the second or third day of life, the skin turns yellow, the maximum of yellowness occurs on the third or fourth day, and by the end of the first week it disappears. This is how physiological jaundice of a newborn is manifested - a condition in which the amount of bile pigment, bilirubin, increases in a child. In some children, jaundice is similar to a light tan (parents may not notice it), while in others, the skin will turn bright yellow. Very quickly, the level of bilirubin returns to normal and the skin color becomes normal again. If jaundice is mild and passes quickly, then no additional treatment is needed. But if jaundice does not disappear or the skin color is intense yellow, you should consult a doctor.
Weight loss
Do you think the baby will immediately be born well-fed, with folds and cute roundness? No, right after birth, this is still far away. In the first days of life, an already not too well-fed newborn will lose even more weight. Such weight loss is a natural process, the so-called physiological weight loss. Weight decreases because immediately after birth, the baby loses part of the water through the skin, its umbilical cord dries out, meconium (the first feces) and urine are excreted, and also because the baby still eats a small amount of milk. Maximum weight loss usually occurs by the third or fifth day and is normally no more than 6-8% of birth weight. At this time, mother and baby are usually discharged from the hospital, but there is no need to worry. By the seventh or tenth day of life, a healthy baby will restore its previous parameters.
chair changes
On the first or second day, all newborns pass the original stool (meconium): it is thick, viscous and dark green in color. Time passes, the baby begins to receive colostrum, and on the third or fourth day of life, a transitional stool appears. Now areas of dark green color alternate with greenish and yellow ones, and some lumps, mucus are also visible in the stool. It all looks like some kind of intestinal disorder, but it's not. It's just that the gastrointestinal tract is moving to a new job, now it's ready to digest food. By the end of the first week of life, the stool in most children is yellow, similar to gruel, and it will continue to be so.
Warm-cold
A typical fear of all grandmothers is that the child is freezing! Yes, indeed, in newborns, the body temperature regulation processes are still imperfect, so babies easily cool down, but they also overheat just as easily. For example, if a newborn is dressed too warmly or placed next to a heating battery, he will quickly overheat, even if this is the usual temperature in the room. At the same time, the child easily loses heat when he is undressed for a long time or he lies in wet clothes. Therefore, in the room where there is a newborn, the air temperature should be adequate - 20-22 ° C. And if she rises higher, and the child is warmly dressed, then this will also not be good.
Sometimes, very rarely (in 1% of newborns), body temperature on the third or fifth day may temporarily rise to 38–39 °C. There are no other symptoms of the disease, the body temperature quickly returns to normal, but the parents have time to get scared. It’s difficult to figure out what it is - temporary hyperthermia or still a disease - it’s difficult, so it’s better to call a doctor.
Hormonal crisis
An uncommon occurrence, but it also occurs occasionally. In some children, on the third or fourth day of life, the mammary glands become engorged (in both girls and boys). They increase as much as possible by the seventh or eighth day, and liquid discharge may even appear from them. Some girls have very little bloody discharge from the vagina for a very short time. This is the so-called hormonal crisis - it occurs due to the action of maternal hormones - estrogens (they penetrate through the placenta during childbirth). At the peak of estrogen action, the signs of a hormonal crisis are maximum, then the hormones are removed from the body and the symptoms gradually disappear. Therefore, you don’t need to apply a cabbage leaf to your chest, make compresses with camphor or something else: everything will pass by itself.
Usually, all these transitional states are pronounced in the first week of life, less often, but it happens that they drag on for up to three to four weeks. One more thing - it is not necessary that the child will show all transitional states, but almost everyone has physiological weight loss and transitional stools. And many of the transitional states are completely invisible to parents, but they also exist, they can simply be identified only by laboratory methods.
So we are not in a hurry to be frightened, noticing that the child’s skin suddenly began to peel off or he turned slightly yellow. We remember that he must adapt to a new life, that in the first time after birth, the baby has the right to some changes. Especially if, with all this, the baby is cheerful, calm and eats well. Well, if you are still somehow anxious, ask your pediatrician questions. He will definitely be able to put everything in its place.
Insert
The maximum weight loss in a newborn usually occurs by the third or fifth day and normally amounts to no more than 6-8% of body weight at birth.
From the point of view of physiology, in the first month of life, “something happens all the time” with children, and much more often and brighter than in later life. These are the transitory (transitional, boundary) states.
In infants, the body temperature regulation processes are still imperfect, so they easily become overcooled and overheated. In this regard, in the room where there is a newborn, the air temperature should be about - 20–22 ° C.
Physiological jaundice of the newborn:
- occurs on the 2-3rd day of the baby's life, reaches a maximum on the 4-5th day, and disappears by the 10th day;
- the general condition of the child does not suffer;
- the level of bilirubin in the blood does not exceed 180 µmol/l.
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