All about newborns

It takes a few weeks for babies to get used to life outside the womb, and some parts have yet to fully develop, like their skin and portions of the skeleton. But most things are in place and a newborn baby can hear your voice and shoot off a smile, even if it isn’t intentional yet.

20 facts about newborn babies – from head to toe

1. Babies love skin-to-skin contact. Apart from simply being incredibly cosy, it also strengthens baby’s immune system and releases the feel-good hormone oxytocin. The great thing is that it doesn’t really matter whose skin the baby is touching: mum, dad, or an older sibling (old enough to understand how fragile this little life still is) all work equally well.
2. A newborn baby has a disproportionately large head relative to their body, and the baby can’t hold their head up themselves. So use a steady hand to support the head when lifting up the baby.
3. Babies can smile when they’re born; this is a reflexive behaviour that develops in the womb. But it will be a while before they can control those muscles and smile on purpose.
4. It’s very common for newborns to get the hiccups, in fact many get the hiccups already in the womb. We don’t know exactly why, or why some babies get the hiccups more than others. It might help them release air from their tummies. Hiccups can also happen when the baby eats: an infant’s oesophagus is small and if a large quantity of milk comes in quickly, it may cause a small spasm, leading to a hiccup. This is harmless and will pass on its own.
5. When the baby is born, they may have a hairier, fuzzier body than you had anticipated. Lanugo hair, as it is called, has covered the thin body while in the womb. This is to retain body heat and disappears within a few days.
6. Baby will have somewhat blurry vision at first, but can see well at about 20–25 cm, which is just far enough to see what’s most important – you. At first, the baby may fix their gaze on spots of light, but it will be a few weeks until they start to follow the things they see with their gaze. As for colours, they see almost everything in black and white initially, and usually discover the colour red next. Blue seems to be last.
7. Some babies are born bald, while others are born with quite a mop of hair, not rarely in a different colour to their parents’ hair. We don’t really know why the quantity of hair varies, but this is likely genetic. Most babies lose, or rather rub off the hair they were born with in the first year. When it grows back, it will likely have a different thickness, colour and shape.
8. Sad babies don’t cry tears yet. The ability to cry tears develops three weeks after birth at the earliest, but for many it takes much longer – sometimes several months.
9. Newborns usually lose weight in the first three to four days after birth. They re-gain the weight, but it could be a few weeks before they reach their birth weight. It can be easy to feel worried about food and weight, but weight in particular is something your paediatrician will monitor carefully during the baby’s first phase of life.
10. Baby will often have cold, sometimes bluish hands and feet those first few days. This is because their circulation has yet to fully develop.
11. Just ten minutes after birth, a newborn can react to voices and music that they recognise from when they were inside the womb.
12. Newborn babies (up until about six months) breathe mainly through their noses; they can also breathe and swallow at the same time. That makes stuffy, snotty noses particularly bothersome for infants.
13. Babies often retain a white fat, similar to petroleum jelly, in the folds of their skin. Vernix, as it’s called, is good for the skin – but too much can lead to irritation. If it seems to be too thick, you can spread it out with your fingers. After a few days, wash it off with water.
14. Immediately after birth, the baby may have swollen nipples and disproportionately large genitals. Some body parts look swollen because of the pregnancy hormone that was in the mother’s body. This is completely normal and will subside within a day or so. If the swelling doesn’t go down, you can talk to your paediatrician.
15. Newborns’ skin can often be a bit dry and flaky, especially if they spent a little extra time inside the belly. This usually sorts itself out within the first week, once the baby has started drinking fat-rich breastmilk or formula, and the body’s natural fat production has kicked into gear. If baby’s skin feels very dry, you can apply a little baby oil to keep it soft. Learn what you need to know about baby’s skin here.
16. Baby’s skin probably has a few dots and specks. Baby acne or milia (sebum bumps) are harmless and will disappear after a little while.
17. The baby has no feeling in the umbilical cord stump, because there aren’t any nerves there. But you should keep their navel area clean until the stump falls off, which it will probably do when you least expect it. If you aren’t sure how to handle the little stump, then talk to your paediatrician.
18. Girls may have whitish discharge from the vagina. This is in response to hormones from their time in the womb and will go away within a few days.
19. The skin and whites of the eyes may have a yellowish tint, called jaundice, caused by elevated levels of a substance called bilirubin in the blood. Mild jaundice in newborns is common and usually passes on its own within a few weeks. Once the baby begins to eat and gains weight, it makes a big difference. At that point, the liver will break down the elevated levels and the baby will gradually look a bit less tan. However, sometimes the baby may need to be treated, and if their skin and the whites of their eyes turn yellow after you get home from the hospital, you should contact your paediatrician.
20. Your newborn has reflexes that might surprise you. You may have noticed the sucking reflex and grasp reflex. But did you know there is also a stepping reflex? Try holding the baby under the arms and let their feet lightly touch the table. Not infrequently, the baby will reflexively take a few steps. At the postnatal ward, they will test the so-called Moro reflex, which is thought to be a remnant from when we were primates. Babies throw open their arms and make a wrapping motion when they think they are falling, as if to hold tight to their parents, who sometimes had to quickly jump or run away from danger in prehistoric times. You can learn more about all the fascinating reflexes and motor development in infants here.

In the article about baby care you’ll find loads of advice on how to care for your newborn baby’s nails, navel, skin and hair.

Please note that all information above is based on Swedish recommendations.