Newborn Characteristics

There are few things with such unbridled potential as a newborn baby. Who will they be? What will they look like? What will their interests and passions be? It is incredible to watch all of these questions find answers. But, before they grow up too fast, let's take a look at newborn characteristics.

• What are the physical characteristics of a newborn?
• What are the behavioral characteristics of a newborn?
• What are the physiological characteristics of a newborn?
• What are newborn reflexes?
• What are the characteristics of high-risk newborns?

Physical Characteristics of a Newborn

As you may have seen a newborn, there are different characteristics that a newborn could possibly have!

Newborn babies don't often look the way they do in the movies. Instead of a perfect, rosy bundle, they often come into this world red or even with a bluish tinge to their skin. The redness begins to fade as they take their first breaths, and the bluish tinge can take a day or so. Babies who are born with a yellowness to their skin have jaundice.

Jaundice is usually nothing to be too concerned about. It is an incredibly common condition, and it often clears up on its own after a few days. If it persists, it can be cleared up with a blood transfusion or through phototherapy, which involves shining a therapeutic light on the newborn.

When newborns enter the world, they are usually covered in a gooey substance called vernix, a white, cheese-like substance. In the womb, vernix protects and moisturizes a fetus' skin. The layer is made up of fatty acids, water, and proteins.

The umbilical cord connects the baby to the mother's placenta while in the womb. It supplies nutrients and everything the baby needs to grow and develop. The umbilical cord is often a bluish-white and is cut and clamped until it dries up. The cord stump will fall off the newborn's belly button on its own in one to three weeks.

Fg. 1 It is natural for the umbilical cord to fall off within 3 weeks of being born, commons.wikimedia.org

Babies can be born with different types of birthmarks or unusual or slightly darker spots on the skin. Some birthmarks are with us throughout our lives and some fade away over time. Angel kisses are red marks or patches that are typically found on a newborn's face, neck, or upper back. They are the result of stretched blood vessels and will gradually fade in six to 18 months.

Some babies are born with soft, fine hairs, or lanugo, all over their bodies. You might notice that premature babies have a lot more hair all over their bodies. This is because babies begin to shed this hair in the womb. The rest will be shed over the first few days after birth.

Some babies are born with odd or comically shaped heads. This can be caused as newborns pass through the vaginal canal. It can also happen if assistive measures are required during birth. Your baby won't have a cone head forever, though. Their heads usually round out over the first few days.

One of the most distinguishing physical characteristics of a newborn is the soft spots on the top of its head. These spots are called fontanels, and there are usually two of them, one at the front and one at the back of the skull. These spots are areas where bone formation hasn't been completed yet. The soft spot at the back is smaller and fills out after a few months. The front spot is larger and can take around 18 months to close.

Behavioral Characteristics of a Newborn

Most babies' motor and behavioral development follows an identical path, with a little time variation in certain milestones. Typically, newborns will roll over, sit up on their own, crawl, and then walk. In that order. Some babies will vary across these tasks, but all healthy, able-bodied babies will pass through these milestones.

Most babies will roll over between four and six months. They usually sit up on their own and begin to crawl between six and nine months. They often begin to walk in ten months to one year.

Physiological Characteristics of Newborn

One of the most important physiological characteristics of a newborn is the successful maintenance of respiratory function. It can be a scary few moments waiting for your newborn to take their first breaths on their own. It's great if they begin to wail and let everyone know just how well their respiratory system works.

Life inside the womb is a much different place than life on the outside. It's essential for newborns to adapt to the basic body functions required for survival. In the womb, a baby's lungs are full of fetal fluid. This fluid has to be expelled from the lungs before they take their first breath. This can happen on its own, after a few pats on the back, or with the help of suction.

After birth, a newborn's urinary system begins to function on its own. It takes a bit of time for their kidneys to mature completely. They begin to filter more blood and slowly get better at filtering out sodium and toxins.

A newborn's gastrointestinal tract is working for the first time after birth. The first waste expelled from their bodies is called meconium.

Fig. 2 - Newborn rooting reflex

Newborn Reflexes

They may seem like the tiniest, most helpless things in the world but, believe it or not, newborns actually come preloaded with certain survival reflexes. A few of those reflexes are rooting, sucking, grasping, tonic and startle response.

Babies will turn in the direction of the stimulus they sense on their cheek or face. They usually open their mouths, seeking out a nipple or a bottle. They might make adorable baby noises as they seek a food source. When they find it, they immediately start sucking. This reflex lasts from birth to about 4 months and is referred to as rooting.

Rooting helps newborns locate a food source, and sucking helps them extract the food and nourish themselves. Newborns experience a lot of the world through their mouths, so you won't be surprised to hear that they will suck on more than just a food source like a bottle or nipple. They will suck on your finger or toys if they put them in their mouths. This reflex develops in the womb. Sometimes you can even see a baby sucking its thumb on an ultrasound!

This reflex is triggered by stimulating the palm of a newborn's hand. It begins at birth and lasts until about six months of age. They might seem incredibly delicate, but newborns are strong! A newborn's cling hold is strong enough to support its entire body weight!

Babies can startle from loud noises or by simply having something unexpected pop up on them. They throw out their limb, then collect them back in toward them, and often start to cry. This reflex lasts until about 2 months of age.

The tonic reflex is developed in the womb and lasts until about five to seven months after birth.

Characteristics of High-Risk Newborn

Things can happen in the womb that can compromise a fetus' health or cognitive function. Risk factors can come from a variety of sources. Environmental factors can compromise a newborn's prenatal development. Maternal nutrition, drug and alcohol use, or other teratogens can put a newborn at risk.

Teratogens can be substances like drugs and alcohol, stress, or even certain viruses. Teratogens can cause birth defects or put newborns at risk for cognitive problems, lower intelligence, or behavioral problems. One serious consequence is fetal alcohol syndrome.

Newborns with fetal alcohol syndrome often have smaller heads and shallow or abnormal facial features. They often have a slower physical development or abnormal joint structure. These babies might have poor coordination, impaired memory, learning disabilities, or hyperactivity.

Other characteristics of high-risk newborns can include complicated health problems like respiratory or blood disorders. They might appear small or too large for their gestational age. They run the risk of having heart or digestive disorders. These newborns are also at an increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS.

SIDS is sometimes called crib death because it usually occurs while the baby is sleeping in a crib or elsewhere. While there is no precise cause for SIDS, professionals have found that it can occur in babies who are born with high-risk conditions.