Newborn drooling a lot: Baby Drooling at 2 Months? Here’s What to Know!

Опубликовано: November 5, 2022 в 10:11 pm

Автор: alexxlab

Категории: Miscellaneous

Doctor in the House: Is your infant drooling excessively? She may be teething

A lot of babies don’t really show major symptoms and you may suddenly discover a tooth has sprouted in the lower jaw when you are breastfeeding.
(Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

Odontiasis also known as teething in babies, occurs where the teeth cut through the gums in an infant. It is a fascinating process that most parents eagerly wait for. In most children, this process usually starts between four to seven months, but this is not a rule of thumb. It is merely an estimation, so don’t worry if
your baby’s teeth came in early or even later. Each baby is different.

You have exhausted your
monthly limit of free stories.

To continue reading,
simply register or sign in

Already have an account? Sign In

You need a subscription to read on.
Now available starting just
Rs 2.75/ day.

*Conditions Apply

Subscribe now

Already a subscriber? Sign In

This premium article is free for now.

Continue

Already have an account? Sign In

This content is exclusive for our subscribers.

Subscribe to get unlimited access to The Indian Express exclusive and premium stories.

Continue

This content is exclusive for our subscribers.

Subscribe now to get unlimited access to The Indian Express exclusive and premium stories.

Continue

Already a subscriber? Sign In

Signs that your baby maybe teething

A lot of babies don’t really show major symptoms and you may suddenly discover a tooth has sprouted in the lower jaw when you are breastfeeding. Others may show one or more of the following symptoms or even most of them:

— swollen and painful gums,
— being more fussy than usual
— mild fever
— wanting to chew on anything and everything
— putting fingers or even the whole hand in the mouth
— drooling excessively to the point that the baby develops a rash
— tugging at the ear
— unwilling to eat or feed

Subscriber Only Stories

View All

Buy at just Rs 108 per month now

As mentioned above, most children sprout teeth and have no real problem. But if your baby develops high fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, cough and cold you need to speak to your paediatrician as these are not symptoms of teething.

How to soothe your baby’s teething discomfort

When your baby is uncomfortable there are few things that can be done to soothe your baby. What worked for your friends with their baby may not work for yours. You can try putting something cold in the baby’s mouth like a cold spoon or a wet, clean wash cloth, or even a cold pacifier. A solid cold teething toy may work but many paediatricians advise against this as it can hurt the baby’s gum. I don’t advise those fluid-filled teething gels as there is a chance that your baby may bite it and it may tear spilling all the liquid in
her mouth. An older child, say around nine months old, can sip some cool water.

Also read |Doctor in the House: Is your newborn crying buckets? Relax, it’s normal!

Another option is to wash your hands and gently massage the gum or even let your little one gnaw at your finger, as long as they have not sprouted a tooth, then of course it could get very painful you.

Avoid products that are not approved as treatment for teething. These can include:
— liquid teething gel toys that can break
— plastic toys that can break in the baby’s mouth
— teethers that are frozen solid, which can hurt the baby

Instead use toys made of rubber and substances that are not harmful such as lead. I see many children wearing teething necklaces. These are dangerous, as it can form a tight noose around the baby’s neck. Also babies can choke on the beads if they put it in the mouth and the the necklace breaks.

If you still want your baby to wear one of these, then its better if it goes around the waist or even around the ankle. As you cannot be around the baby all the time, it is better that it is not around the neck.

Also read |Doctor in the House: Heading Home with your newborn? Here’s a checklist of dos and don’ts

Teething Medicines

There are many dental gels available in the market and other baby teething gels that promise to help with the pain. It really does not help as it gets washed away. It may even cause swallowing problems as it may numb the throat. Benzocaine is a local anaesthetic that is present in most of teething gels and is not recommended for children under two years. It can cause rare but very serious side effects. You can always use paracetamol as a pain killer. I don’t recommend ibuprofen as it should not be given ideally to children under six months.

Order Of Tooth Eruption

When and how teeth come in can be different for every baby, but in most cases, the front lower two teeth come in first, followed by the opposite top two teeth and then the ones on the side in the top row. This is followed by two on either side of the lower two teeth and the the molars. The teeth in front of the molars are next and then the back molars which are the last to come. By the time your baby is three years old, she would be having 20 teeth.

Caring for your baby’s teeth

Ideally, good oral hygiene should start before your baby develops her first tooth. You can gently clean her gums with a wet clean muslin cloth or gauze once a day. Be very gentle and make sure you don’t hurt their
mouth. Even when your baby develops teeth, continue cleaning with just water
and a cloth at least two times a day.

Once your baby is a year old, use a brush with bristles and put a small amount of fluoride-free toothpaste to clean the teeth. Your paediatrician will monitor your child’s teeth and check that there are no caries and if there is, they will refer you to a dentist. Till three years of age, your paediatrician will keep an eye on your baby’s teeth. Thereafter your child’s teeth will need to be looked after by a paediatric dentist!

Dr Saroja Balan is consultant neonatologist and paediatrician at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital. Her column appears every fortnight.

For all the latest Parenting News, download Indian Express App.

Tears before bedtime? Silent reflux in babies

Reflux is often bandied about in mothers groups and parent circles when a baby seems like they’re in discomfort, or are spilling up loads and loads of milk. But, sometimes, reflux can go completely undetected.

Here’s what to look out for if you suspect your baby is suffering from silent reflux, and the steps you can take to manage it.

What is reflux versus silent reflux?

In basic terms, reflux is when acid comes up from your little one’s stomach and burns their throat. You may know that feeling yourself after you’ve eaten too fast or had a lot of fatty food. Ouch!

As adults this is commonly known as ‘heartburn’ and although the reasons for heartburn in an adult can be quite different to infant reflux, the results are the same – that horrid burning sensation of acid coming up your oesophagus and even into your mouth.

And this pain is why a bubba with reflux cries. A lot.

Check out our blog that talks about what reflux is, and the various degrees and different types of reflux. This will help you understand what may be happening to your wee one’s digestive system to cause such discomfort.

For now though, we want to touch specifically on silent reflux (also known as laryngopharyngeal reflux or LPR), as this can be harder to spot than general reflux, and may be affecting your baby’s ability to sleep (amongst other things).

Yes, I want more sleep!

If you need a helping hand with tackling your baby’s sleep, then check out our Pediatrician-recommended App.

Join Now

What’s so silent about silent reflux?

In the case of silent reflux, babies swallow the milk that comes up their oesophagus (food pipe) instead of spilling or spitting up.

Because you don’t see your little one actively spewing up, the symptoms aren’t always obvious, hence the terminology ‘silent’.

Not knowing what’s causing your little one pain can be extremely heart wrenching. You may second guess your every move as a parent or caregiver, and wonder when oh when you will have a “normal”, more settled baby, and not feel at your wits end.

Symptoms of silent reflux

Crying (and crying and crying and crying…)

Tears, perhaps better described as screams, are your baby’s way of telling you they’re in discomfort, however a lot of babies with reflux won’t cry, instead they may be difficult to settle or get to sleep.

But first thing’s first. Just because your baby is crying a lot doesn’t mean they have silent reflux.

There may be a number of underlying issues causing them tears. Make sure to rule out everything on our list that may cause your baby to cry, before suspecting silent reflux.

Problems feeding

Whether bubs is on the boob or bottle, there will likely be some feeding issues for an infant with silent reflux.

While sucking, they may gag (dry reach) and cough. They may seem “fussy” and pull off the breast or bottle, and in extreme cases refuse to feed much at all.

Or some reflux babies will “snack” a lot, either because feeding hurts and they keep stopping, or because more milk going down and pushing acid back downwards is soothing. They may also have problems swallowing or burping.

Often babies with severe silent reflux will be seen to arch their back while feeding or just afterward.

So, will taking a bottle help?

There seems to be a misconception bandied about that reflux occurs more in breastfed babies, but changing from breast to formula feeding will usually not solve the problem. It’s the act of having liquid in their tummies that matters.

Sleeping issues

Babies suffering from silent reflux will probably not be great sleepers. They’ll often take ages to settle to sleep, and once asleep, may wake up after a small window of a few minutes, often screaming rather suddenly.

You may find that your baby only settles when lying upright, either on you or in a baby carrier. This is because being upright offers the advantage of gravity, so acid and milk can’t go upwards.

If your baby is not settling, the sleep deprivation kicks in – for both your baby and you. This, and seeing your baby in discomfort can leave you at your wits end!

That said, there are some babies with reflux who will sleep well during the day and night. It’s possible they’re simply exhausted or they may not ‘reflux’ too much overnight.

Other reflux signs

As well as the above, a baby with silent reflux may also suffer from one or more of the following:

Coughing, but without other sickness symptoms (this is their natural reaction to acid hitting the back of their throat)
Being really noisy and making strange sounds like gagging, grunting and having a hoarse voice
It may seem they are more “mucusy” than other babies
They may drool a lot more (some parents will confuse this with teething)
They may pick up frequent colds and ear infections
Have bad breath.
Bubbles around their mouth
Hiccuping frequently

For babies with severe silent reflux (very rare), things can get really bad. Look out for:

Constipation and /or diarrhoea
Discolouration of poop
Not thriving (very little weight gain or even loss of weight)
Terrible congestion, and in extreme cases, difficulties breathing and even apnea (stopping breathing).

Remember the issues we’ve listed here are not always going to show up on a child suffering from silent reflux. Every child presents differently and will react differently to their levels of discomfort.

If you are suspicious silent reflux is playing havoc, follow your gut (excuse the pun) and see your GP or health professional right away.

Most doctors agree that a mother’s intuition should always be listened to!

Diagnosis of reflux

Diagnosis is often done by a GP or specialist based on symptoms explained by the parents. If you think your baby has silent reflux it’s a good idea to write down as many of the signs listed above that your baby may have.

Babies who have reflux are often very happy when distracted and people, including doctors, may not believe that they are in much pain.

It’s a great idea to take a video of when they are having an episode to take along for your appointment.

There are a few diagnostic tests that can be done: Barium swallow series, PH probe and Upper GI Endoscopy.

Is it possible my baby is just tired?

Absolutely. In fact, it’s more likely that this is the problem, statistically speaking.

If a baby is crying loads and is generally irritable, but doesn’t seem to suffer from any of the other silent reflux symptoms we’ve mentioned, it’s essential to consider that your baby could actually be over or undertired, or overstimulated.

Too often babies end up being put on reflux medication unnecessarily, when all they really needed was for their napping and feeding to be more structured according to their age.

The only way to truly rule out overtiredness, under tiredness and overstimulation is to have your baby sleeping as well as they possibly can for their age. Our age-specific Sleep Programs can give you a helping hand here.

Then, if your baby is still not sleeping after trying our Sleep Programs, you may consider silent reflux and perhaps try some of the tips in this post.
If things still don’t improve, chat to your GP or specialist as soon as possible.

Day to day management of silent reflux

If you suspect silent reflux and have ruled out under / overtiredness, give some of these ideas a try

Keep baby upright during the day

Keep your baby as upright as possible when they’re awake, which makes sense given that you don’t want liquid to come up easily.

Be sensitive to their tummies

By this, we mean keeping as little pressure on their little stomachs as possible as this will bring up more acid.

If tummy time is uncomfortable, don’t push it. Although this position is key for their early development, it’s not going to be effective if it really hurts them.
Keep this time short if they start crying, then sit them upright, or put a cushion (a feeding cushion is good) under their torso.

Using tight baby carriers can also cause discomfort to your little one if they have silent reflux. Be gentle when winding too.

Feeding tips

Breastfeed / bottle feed in a more upright position, i.e. baby’s legs down as opposed to across your body
If you produce a lot of milk and it seems to be gushing out, so your baby is guzzling, sit back so the flow is slower. If you’re bottle feeding, try a slow-flow bottle/teat.
After feeding keep your baby upright for 30 minutes – usually over your shoulder. Avoid putting your baby in a car seat immediately after feeding, the bumping around in a laid back position will not help
Try giving your baby smaller feeds more often (unless the feeds are already small and frequent, which may be the case)
Burp/wind during each feeding, ideally when they pause, rather than pulling them off. Babies with reflux will often have trouble burping and may need a lot more time to get there.

Breastfeeding or donor breast milk – your diet

As breastfeeding mummas know, what you eat is passed through your milk. Altering a mother’s food intake can sometimes help with reflux.

This isn’t easy, though, because it’s hard to know exactly what foods are triggering the reflux. There are so many factors at play.

But you may start to notice a pattern that certain foods are causing discomfort in your baby, such as coffee, chocolate and citrus fruits, these foods may be causing your babies reflux to be worse.

Less commonly if your baby has reflux caused by an intolerance rather than the most common type of reflux, which is caused by an immature valve, the most common culprits are dairy, soy and wheat.

Do be careful though – as a breastfeeding mother you require lots of nutrients, so we’d recommend talking to your doctor before making any dietary changes.

Pacifiers

Pacifiers (or ‘dummies’) can help soothe the baby by encouraging them to swallow saliva which may be enough to wash the acid down and help with the pain.

Settling a baby to sleep with silent reflux

So, you and your doctor have determined that silent reflux is a problem for your baby. But how do you get them settling to sleep better?

Firstly, make sure you hold your baby upright at least 30 minutes before you attempt to lie them down.

Sleep coaching a baby with reflux can definitely be a challenge. It’s a fine balance of helping your baby feel comfortable and alleviate his pain, while also trying to avoid any negative sleep associations that may mess with his ability to sleep later on.

We strongly recommend that you don’t launch into a “cry it out” style form of sleep training when your baby or child has diagnosed silent reflux.

We believe that a more gentle approach is required. Babies actually thrive on routine and for babies with silent reflux or other medical conditions, getting their sleep on track will help you identify if the reflux returns or flares up.

Our Programs take into consideration babies with reflux, and can offer tips to help get your little one self settling faster, with ease.

Note: Do not incline the crib/cot

Many health care professionals still recommend elevating a crib ever so slightly – for example, by putting a small book under the front wheels, or a small towel under the hard mattress.

But the American Academy of Pediatrics published a report in 2016, concluding that elevating the head of the crib is not effective in reducing reflux and instead increases the chance of SIDs. (Report states, “It may result in the infant sliding to the foot of the crib into a position that may compromise respiration and therefore is not recommended”).

Medical treatment of silent reflux

Medications

Infant Gaviscon works as an antacid to neutralise stomach acids and a thickener. It’s often recommended to breast-fed infants in place of thickened formula (see your doctor first).

Medication such as omeprazole (often packaged under the brand name ‘Losec’) or Ranitidine may be considered by your doctor, for the small number of babies that have silent reflux.

These meds work to neutralise the acid in the tummy, so when liquid comes up the oesophagus it doesn’t burn. They generally provide instant relief for mild reflux. For severe reflux your doctor may try other medications.

Note the dosage depends on weight, the baby’s age, and severity of symptoms, so don’t go giving your baby these drugs if you happen to have these common drugs in the cupboard. In general, they’re only recommended for babies with poor weight gain or significant distress from reflux.

If prescribed medications don’t work, your doctor may consider getting you tested for allergies, or refer you to a gastro specialist to investigate things “internally” with more invasive studies as mentioned above.

Definitely contact your GP if your baby is not feeding, is losing weight, is more unsettled than normal or you suspect they have reflux.

Milk thickeners

Your doctor may also recommend thickening agents to mix with formula, which can often really help reflux.

Breathing issues

If reflux is affecting your baby’s respiration, your doctor may give you a sleep apnea monitor. If you see any breathing issues you must see your doctor urgently.

Natural remedies for silent reflux

Some mothers find the following more alternative approaches can help relieve silent reflux symptoms:

Baby massage therapy (you can learn to do this yourself)
Osteopath cranial sacral treatments
Probiotics (make sure you have the correct strains of bacteria)
Gripe Water, Colic Calm, or other homeopathic remedies.

Introducing solids to a baby with silent reflux

It would be fabulous to be able to give you a definitive list of foods that are well tolerated by reflux babies, but of course, when it comes to reflux, every baby is just too different.

Some health professionals recommend using baby rice cereal to thicken formula or expressed breastmilk of a baby with reflux before six months, to help keep the milk down. We would recommend only doing this under the advice of your doctor.

Although fruits are part of a normal “starting-solids” regime, you may like to tread lightly and only attempt very small amounts of new foods.

Acidic fruit like green apples or tomato (yes, this is a fruit!) and bananas may cause a flare up as well.

When will my baby grow out of silent reflux?

There’s no specific rule for when silent reflux will disappear, but specialists agree that it’s generally an issue for the first few months only, as a baby’s sphincter muscle is able to start blocking liquid coming up the oesophagus.

Most parents notice that signs of reflux are gone when their babies are able to sit up by themselves or walk, or when they start to eat solids.

What if my child is not growing out of silent reflux?

If your older baby or toddler still shows symptoms of silent reflux, despite eating solids and their digestive system maturing, they may have ongoing silent reflux issues that should be addressed medically.

This is very rare, but shouldn’t be ruled out. Here are some common signs that toddlers or older kids may still be suffering:

Speech development: They stop babbling or talking, perhaps in response to pain, or have a hoarse voice
They have teeth that show signs of erosion
Eating issues: be fussy over certain foods and textures
Endless ear infections
They may remain clingy and cranky (behavioural result from being in constant discomfort).

Life after silent reflux

Unfortunately, some babies who have suffered from silent reflux and recovered (either through treatment or age), could still continue to wake frequently, catnap, and need to be fully assisted to sleep.

This is often the result of never having had a chance to learn to sleep that well.  
If you need extra help teaching healthy sleep patterns, have a look around our website and check out our comprehensive Sleep Programs.

————

References:

Pavlov, I. P. (1928). Lectures on conditioned reflexes. (Translated by W.H. Gantt) London: Allen and Unwin.

Simple Ways To Treat Baby Drool Rash At Home

If your baby is entering the teething stage, there’s a good chance a case of drool rash could be in their future. Baby drool rash occurs when a little one’s drool irritates their skin and leads to a red, bumpy rash developing on their chin, neck, or even their chest. While drool rash is most common between the ages of three and six months, according to Pampers, it can occur at any point after baby’s saliva glands kick in (usually between two to three months), whether they’re cutting new teeth or not. Since no one likes to see their little one uncomfortable, the appearance of a drool rash may leave you feeling worried and nervous on your baby’s behalf. But thankfully, this is one infant ailment that’s easy to treat and prevent.

First and foremost, always try to keep baby’s skin as dry as possible. Drool rash develops when a baby’s skin stays damp for too long, so you should keep a soft burping cloth nearby to gently clean up any saliva on their chin, around their mouth, and on their neck. Does your baby tend to drool more during meal times? Make sure they’re wearing a bib to prevent the saliva from soaking into their clothes, which could lead to a rash on their chest as well.

Keeping baby’s skin dry is the key to keeping this particular rash at bay. However, no matter how careful you are to wipe up all of those cute tiny baby bubbles, a drool rash may still occur. The truth is babies drool a lot, and as a result, drool rash is quite common. So what should you do if you notice a breakout of red bumps on your child’s face, neck, or chest? Read on to find out how to handle drool rash effectively, when to visit your pediatrician, and how to tell the difference between a drool rash and eczema (hint: the last one is a trick question).

Can you treat drool rash at home?

Drool rash can be uncomfortable for baby, but it usually only lasts about a week. During this time, there are several things you can do to make your infant more comfortable. Experts recommend gently cleaning the affected area with a warm cloth twice a day. Avoid rubbing the rash since that can cause further irritation. Instead, try pat drying the area.

Next, apply a soothing ointment like petroleum jelly to baby’s skin to form a barrier between the skin and saliva. Petroleum jelly has the added benefit of reducing your little one’s discomfort. Meanwhile, continue to keep your baby’s face as dry as possible by frequently cleaning it — just avoid putting lotion on the rash, as that would cause additional irritation. Finally, at bath time, make sure to use an unscented baby soap that’s as mild as possible.

How can I prevent a drool rash?

Babies drool… a lot. There’s no way to keep their mouths dry, but you can keep spit off of their necks and chest. Keep a burp cloth or bib on your baby. This will absorb the drool and give you something to wipe their face with before the saliva leaks past their chins.

If drool makes its way onto your child’s neck and chest, dab the spit away instead of wiping it to avoid chafing the skin.

Is drool rash worth a visit to the pediatrician?

Most of the time, drool rash will clear up with at-home treatment after about a week, but if the rash persists or begins to look crusty, ooze, or blister, it’s time for a trip to the doctor. Additionally, if baby seems to be in pain or is itching excessively, these are further signs their drool rash may need extra treatment than what you can provide at home. Ultimately, you know your baby best, and if they don’t seem to be themselves or you’re not seeing any improvement after a few days, it won’t hurt to book an appointment with the pediatrician.

If you do end up taking your baby in for drool rash, their pediatrician will likely prescribe an ointment to apply to baby’s skin. These prescription-strength ointments will speed up the healing process and help relieve the irritation, making your little one more comfortable in the process.

Is it drool rash or eczema?

When you see those little red bumps on baby’s skin, you may wonder if you’re dealing with a case of drool rash or eczema. After all, eczema also presents as itchy, red, inflamed skin. However, what you may not know is eczema is actually a broad term encompassing several skin conditions — including drool rash.

There are two types of eczema: contact dermatitis and atopic dermatitis. Contact dermatitis is caused by the skin encountering an irritant, which in this case would be drool. Meanwhile, atopic dermatitis usually occurs due to a food allergy, hay fever, or another condition. Ultimately, atopic dermatitis tends to occur due to an overreaction of a baby’s immune system, while contact dermatitis results from an external irritant like drool or laundry detergent. Another way to tell the difference between drool rash and eczema is by taking note of where the rash appears. Eczema is most likely to present on a baby’s scalp, cheeks, torso, arms, or legs, whereas a simple drool rash most commonly forms around the mouth, chin, neck, or chest.

If your baby has a drool rash, don’t panic. This common ailment is usually nothing to worry about and, after about a week of at-home care, your little one’s irritation should subside. If it persists, or you suspect eczema is to blame, a trip to the pediatrician is in order.

Drool Rash vs Hand Foot Mouth

Hand, foot and mouth disease is an infection that causes red blisters in a baby’s diaper area, on their feet, hands, and in their mouth and throat. It’s also contagious and spreads through contact with infected individuals. And there is no cure for HFM. Drool rash on the other hand is literally caused by baby’s drooling. HFM is a bit more serious and can be treated with a topical cream and clears up in about seven to 10 days.

This article was originally published on April 29, 2021

Newborn baby: first days and weeks

A newborn baby is completely different from the plump, ruddy and smiling children from magazine covers. He looks and behaves completely different from two-three-month-old babies, so often young
parents are confused: is this wrinkled red man really their child? Yes, that’s what newborn babies look like. But so many important things happen in the first month of a baby’s life
that very soon mom and dad will not recognize their baby.

First day

A newly born baby is a bit like an alien: it has a disproportionately large head and a small body. His arms and legs
curved at an angle uncharacteristic for humans. It seems that even picking up such a baby is difficult – he is so small and defenseless. Which of the family looks like a newborn, too, yet to say
hard – his face is still swollen: swollen eyelids hide disproportionately huge slits of the eyes, so that on the first day of life, if he looks like anyone, it’s like a chipmunk. The baby’s nose is flattened
the chin is slightly depressed, in general, there may be some asymmetry in the face. This happens because the baby walked head first and the face naturally swells from this. During the first
day of life, the tumor gradually subsides, the facial bones fall into place, facial features change for the better. Sometimes there are pinkish-reddish spots on the forehead, bridge of the nose or the back of the head
with a bluish tinge, slightly raised above the surface of the skin. They are very large, especially the occipital ones. When the child cries or pushes, these spots appear brighter. All this is frightening
young mothers, and this is understandable: some red spots, and even on the face! But this is a completely typical phenomenon for a newly born baby, and these spots are called telangiectasia – persistent
expansion of the superficial vessels of the skin and mucous membranes. They are quite harmless and disappear on their own during the first or second months of life. By the way, people call them “spots
stork”: if you imagine that the stork was holding the head of a child, then the marks from the beak will just be located on the bridge of the nose and the back of the head.

A newborn looks and behaves completely different from two-three-month-old babies, so young parents are often confused: is this wrinkled red man really their child?

From the 9-11th day, the child already distinguishes sounds, reacting with crying to sharp, loud ones, but does not yet listen to them. He begins to listen between the 3rd and 5th weeks of life

Already on the first day of life, a healthy newborn registers more than 170, and on the 10th day of life – more than 550 individual and general movements per minute! Of course, we are talking about immature, uncoordinated movements

The head of a newborn is also not as smooth and round as in advertising pictures, it can generally be of very different shapes – elongated, flattened or rounded. So mother nature came up with –
so that the head does not suffer from strong pressure during childbirth, the bones of the skull of the child are not tightly connected, and when it passes through the birth canal, they can move (well, so that nothing unnecessary and
she wasn’t hurt). If you touch the baby’s head, you can even clearly distinguish the protrusions formed as a result of the partial superposition of the skull bones when squeezed during
childbirth. But in just a few days, the head of a healthy child takes on a rounded shape.

If you touch the top of the baby’s head, you can find some soft spot and feel how it pulsates under your hand. “What is it? parents think. – Hole in the head? No, it’s the so-called
fontanel, just that area in the skull where the bones are not tightly connected and under them there is still a connecting membrane. The second soft spot is located on the parietal region of the head, closer to it.
back. These areas can be touched and washed without fear, nothing will happen to the child’s head. As the bones of the skull grow, the fontanelle decreases, and by the year there will already be real hard bone tissue in its place.

The skin of the baby immediately after birth is covered with a whitish sticky substance. This is the so-called primordial lubricant, which protects the baby’s skin during fetal life from the effects of amniotic fluid and facilitates
him passing through the birth canal during childbirth. Her mother usually does not see her whole, because the lubricant is immediately removed even in the delivery room. But some of its remnants may be in the folds of the skin, behind the ears and
in the vulva in girls. So it will have to be removed at home on its own, with a cotton pad (tampon) moistened with any baby oil. Otherwise, in the folds, the lubricant will rush in it
microorganisms will begin to multiply. Some children are born a little shaggy – delicate hairs grow on their back, shoulders, cheeks and some other parts of the body, which
called lanugo. Sometimes such a cover looks thick, like wool, and it seems that the child will remain shaggy for life. No, lanugo will not disappear quickly, but almost by three months of it
will not. In general, the skin of newborns on the first day looks different. Immediately after birth, it is bluish, and after a few hours it becomes bright red. In large babies, the skin may be smooth, well-filled, thick.
In smaller children, it is slightly wrinkled. There are babies with very thin skin, blood vessels even shine through it. Since the arms and legs are the end points of blood delivery,
in the first few hours or days they will be cold and bluish. As for the amount of hair, it can be different: from complete absence to luxurious hair.

In general, if you look at the average newborn, he came to us from another planet, and that’s all: the head is large and strangely shaped, the body is thin and small, the arms and legs are also thin. Myself
red, and sometimes even blue. The skin is thin and translucent. The face is also somehow a little like a human, and some children are also furry! There is something to surprise young parents. But this is only the first
day, you have to wait a little, and soon the child will change.

First week

In the first week, the baby will begin to change especially strongly – he will become much prettier: the swelling of the face will subside, the eyes will open wider, the shape of the head will become more familiar to the eyes. But here are nice roundness and cute
there will be no baby folds yet. And in general, at this time, an already thin newborn will lose weight even more. This “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 receives a small amount of milk from the mother. Maximum weight loss usually occurs by the third to fifth day and is normally no more than 6–8% of birth weight. In it
time, mom 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.

By the way, in the first week (usually in the first days) the umbilical cord will fall off and an umbilical wound will remain in its place. For someone, it will heal very quickly – in 8-10 days, but it can heal longer (up to three weeks).

The second thing that will change in the baby in the first seven days is the condition of his skin. The red color of the skin (doctors call it “erythema simple”) is brightest on the second day after birth, completely
disappears at the end of the first week of life. And the skin will become familiar to us pale pink color. Only parents will calm down a bit about the skin, as new changes await them: on the third or fifth day of life, the skin
may begin to peel off, especially on the abdomen and chest. What’s this? Is the child missing something? No, this is a normal phenomenon: this is how the skin adapts to a new life (not water, but air). This lasts
peeling for about a week and goes away on its own, but the peeling sites can be lubricated with a moisturizing baby cream or cosmetic milk. But that’s not all that can happen to the skin: not often, but it happens that
in children in the first week of life, the so-called toxic erythema appears – a spotted rash with grayish-yellow seals in the center. The rash is most often
on the extensor surfaces of the arms and legs around the joints, on the chest. “Chickenpox, rubella, some contagious disease?” moms and dads think. No, also adaptation of the skin to a new life.
The well-being of the babies is not disturbed, the body temperature is normal. Within one to three days, new rashes may appear, after two or three days the rash itself disappears.

In addition, on the second or third day of life in 60-70% of children, the skin turns yellow, the maximum yellowness occurs on the third or fourth day, and by the end of the first week it disappears. This is how the physiological
Newborn jaundice is a condition in which the amount of bile pigment, bilirubin, increases in the baby’s body. Someone will have jaundice like
a light and pleasant tan (parents may not notice it), and for someone the baby will become specifically yellow. This is completely normal for a healthy child. Very fast bilirubin level
returns to normal and the color of the skin becomes normal again. But if the jaundice does not disappear or the child is very yellow, you need to see a doctor.

In the first one or two days, all newborns pass the first-born stool (meconium) – a thick, viscous mass of dark green color. On the third or fourth day of life, a transitional stool appears –
lumps, mucus, areas of dark green color alternate with greenish and yellow. No, this is not an intestinal disorder, just the gastrointestinal tract is tuned (transfers) to its work. By the end of the first week of life, stool
for most, it becomes like a yellow gruel, so it will continue to be.

An infrequent occurrence, but it must also be said about it. In some children, on the third or fourth day of life, the mammary glands engorge (both girls and boys). They increase to the maximum by the seventh or eighth day, of which even
liquid discharge may appear. Some girls sometimes have very little bleeding from the vagina during the first day. This is the so-called hormonal crisis –
it occurs due to the action of maternal hormones – estrogens (they penetrate during childbirth through the placenta). At the peak of estrogen action, the signs of a hormonal crisis are maximum, then
hormones are excreted 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 go away by itself.

First month

After the first week of life, the baby will begin to gain weight intensively. He must add at least 600 g in the first month, but some heroes add 1000 g each. It is clear that with weight gain, the appearance of the newborn will be
change for the better: the child himself will become noticeably rounder, the skin will still be dry at first, but gradually it will become smoother and denser. But still, the baby will still be far from the grown baby.
Let’s start with the fact that the entire first month of life, the child mainly sleeps and eats, but he will not be awake for very long. At this time, the child also does not have any meaningful actions and movements. So that
put aside rattles and other entertainment, they are not needed yet.

In general, the baby’s movements can scare moms and dads a little. For example, parents will notice that the baby’s arms and legs are tense all the time. It looks like this: the handles are bent at all joints, brought to
torso and pressed against the chest, the hands are clenched into fists. The baby’s legs are also bent at the joints and abducted at the hips. This is hypertonicity – increased tone of the flexor muscles, but this is completely normal.
a phenomenon that all babies have up to a certain age. By 3.5–4 months, the physiological hypertonicity will weaken, the movements will become more coordinated, the hand will open. It will also be seen that the newborn
constantly making some movements, and very chaotic. This is also the norm, because the child’s nervous system is still immature, which is why he cannot make coordinated movements. Usually chaotic twitches
disappear in the second month of life.

What about sight and hearing? The color of the eyes in children is almost always blue, because there is no melanin in the iris – the body’s natural pigment. By six months, melanin begins to be produced, and the baby has a permanent color.
eye. Some children, especially those with dark skin, have light brown eyes from birth. The vision of the newborn is still defective. There is no clarity, the child is not able to concentrate
eye, sometimes you can notice the twitching of the eyeballs from side to side (nystagmus). Therefore, there is no point in a mobile (carousel) above the crib, it will be needed later – from the 2nd month. How
Another baby can surprise mom, so it’s strabismus. Doctors explain it by the weakness of the abductor muscle of the eye, it is good that by 6 months the strabismus disappears on its own. All these are normal phenomena for a newborn, which arise due to
immaturity of his organs. Interestingly, the tears in the crumbs appear from the 3-4th week of life.

Many young parents, as soon as they bring their child from the maternity hospital, walk around the apartment on tiptoe, afraid to disturb the newborn. In fact, in the first few days after birth, the child still does not hear very well.
Around the middle of the 2nd week of life, he will begin to react to a loud sharp sound – he will flinch or blink. And only by the 3rd week the baby attaches much more importance to the noise of the external environment.

But what pleases the parents of their child is a smile – it appears in the first two or three weeks of life. A smile means that the baby is happy and wants to communicate. Somewhere at the same time, lying on
stomach, the baby will begin to turn his head to the side, then he will try to slightly raise it. All these are the first and very important achievements of the baby.

These are just a few of the main changes that happen to a baby in the first month of life. Other parents are invisible and not so important, the doctor will pay attention to them. Moreover, almost immediately the baby will become
for mom and dad the very best and most important person in the world. And it will not be so important when he starts to look like an advertising baby, the main thing is that he looks like his family!

Memo for parents

A newly born baby is a bit like an alien: it has a disproportionately large head and a small body. Its arms and legs are curved at an angle uncharacteristic for humans.
A newborn’s head can be of many different shapes, because his bones are mobile and shift when he passes through the birth canal.
In the first week, the baby will begin to change especially strongly – he will become much prettier: the swelling of the face will subside, the eyes will open wider, the shape of the head will become more familiar to the eyes
Throughout the first month of life, the child mainly sleeps and eats, but he will be awake for a very short time. The child also does not yet have any meaningful actions and movements at this time

What should I do if my child chokes?

What to do if the baby is choking? Everyone needs to know this. And if this happened, it is dangerous to waste time, every second counts here. But let’s start with what you don’t need to do.

Useful and useless measures

The potential danger for the baby is often formed by his mother and father. Teeth are cut, and the baby strives to gnaw on all the objects that it can reach. What is the point of giving foreign objects to gnaw – it is much more logical to give the baby something edible, useful. For example, a piece of banana, apple or cucumber. This is the point of view of some parents. The child is under supervision – what can threaten him? But trouble can happen in the blink of an eye.

If at least the top of a milk tooth has hatched in a baby, he will certainly bite off at least a small crumb from the fruit. He was delighted, frightened, inhaled sharply – and now the fool choked on food.

Slightly older babies can be harmed by small fragments of toys – because they need to taste everything. Yes, and during a normal meal, a child can form and make a voice, laugh, whimper – and choke. A typical situation is when an ordinary candy becomes the cause of such an incident.

– In other words, in no case do not neglect the age restrictions indicated on the toys;

– the baby should not touch things from which a small part or detail can be separated;

– as early as possible wean him to give voice during meals;

– do not let the baby play or fall asleep with candy in his mouth.

Despite any preventive measures, one should never relax and one must constantly be vigilant. If the baby choked and it became difficult for him to breathe, you can’t hesitate, we begin a set of urgent measures.

What to do if a baby under one year of age chokes:

– you should raise the handles up – thereby expanding the airways a little, it will become easier for the child to inhale and exhale;

– if breathing is not restored, we put the baby face in the palm, lifting his ass a little higher than his head. Slightly patting on the back, successively directing these claps from the pelvic region to the back of the head. Then the child needs to be turned over, and the butt is still above the level of his head, and lightly press on the sternum 4-6 times, trying to force the fluid out of the lungs. These techniques should be repeated until free breathing is fully restored.

– if the reason that the baby choked was food, you should gently lift him up, holding his legs or stimulate the child to vomit by pressing a finger on the root section of his tongue.

If a foreign object is in the airways, preventing the child from crying and raising a voice, if he waves his arms and pulls in his tummy, immediately call the emergency medical service, before she arrives, you need to do this:

– When the liquid became the cause, the baby has a cough and shortness of breath, take the child with his back to you, hugging and pressing on the tummy near the stomach, tilting the baby, pat him on the back.

– If this does not work, put the baby on the back with his head below the body. Place your middle and index fingers under the baby’s breastbone and apply pressure five times. Make sure your chest expands after each press.

– If the cause of the accident was a small solid object (bead, part from the designer), lay the child on his tummy over your arm, placing his head below the torso. With the palm of your other hand, lightly tap on the back. You can also lift the child by the legs to also pat on the back.

– Combine the above techniques, controlling whether the foreign object came out. If you did everything right and this object appeared in your mouth, carefully remove it from there.

– If these techniques do not give the desired result, artificial respiration should be started. For babies up to 8 months of age, it is done immediately both in the nose and in the mouth. Here you do not need to tilt your head back, just slightly raise the child’s chin.

Exhale 3-5 times and make sure the baby’s chest expands. If this happens, then the baby can breathe. Take a few more breaths to help the child return to a normal breathing rhythm.

All movements must be done in no way abruptly, without effort. Overdone, you can injure the baby and harm him even more.

What NOT to do when the baby is choking

If this happens, then the most important thing is not to lose your cool and determine whether you need to call emergency medical care. Mom’s commotion will frighten the child much more.

For example, choking, the baby retains the ability to breathe in and out. He cries, screams. In this case, you do not need to tap him on the back: let him clear his throat, after which the child needs to be reassured.

If a foreign object is in the airways, it is strictly forbidden to pat the child on the back when he is in a vertical position. In this case, it can be harmed by involuntarily pushing a foreign object much deeper. In such a situation, it is necessary to tilt the head and body of the baby.

Remember the strict requirement: in any case, do not try to remove the stuck object on your own! You can make the child much worse, and his breathing can be completely blocked. In this case, you need to call the “ambulance”.

Measures to help babies over one year of age

You need to start with one thing: no panic! One-year-old children and older are already well aware and perceive the emotions of their parents. And with your unbridled panic, you can alarm the child too much.

In essence, the measures of immediate assistance to infants of this age category approximately coincide with the methods of assistance to infants. If a foreign object or food crumbs gets into the larynx, lift the baby, firmly grasping the legs, or stimulate his gag reflex. However, in most cases, the child manages to cough without outside help.

But if the situation turned out to be more complicated and the above measures did not give the desired result, then the procedure is as follows. You need to put the baby face up on the crib. Press under the ribs into the upper abdomen, pushing up slightly, repeat several times. These movements stimulate the movement of a foreign object back into the oral cavity.

Often another method is used. The child is in front of you, with his back to you. Place your palm on his chest so that the baby rests on your arm. His body should be slightly tilted forward. With the other hand, tap on the back between the shoulder blades 4-5 times.

In the event that a foreign object has become the cause of the accident, it is also recommended to use the direct aid method for suffocation, developed by the American surgeon Henry Heimlich. This technique includes two different ways of helping, depending on whether the patient is conscious or not.

First way

Standing behind, clench your right hand into a fist, on top – the left. Press vigorously with the fist of your right hand on the area under the ribs above the navel, directing the movement from the bottom up, towards the sternum, while the arms are bent at the elbows. Continue until then. Until the subject exits and breathes back. This method is suitable for babies from the age of one.

Second way

Lay the child face up and place the hands in the same way as in the first example. With vigorous movements, push up towards the diaphragm until the victim resumes independent inhalations and exhalations. If these efforts fail, artificial respiration and chest compressions may be necessary.

These exercises should be done until the foreign object returns to the oral cavity. This method does not apply to babies under 1 year old.

Baby is choking and not breathing: what to do

When the child chokes, it is likely that breathing stops due to spasms in the larynx. The most common cause of them is a stressful situation for the child.

The order of urgent action in such a situation is as follows:

– you need to lay the child sideways on the table;

– slightly tilt your head back;

– slightly raise your head by the chin.

If breathing is not restored, begin artificial respiration immediately:

– in the same way, put the baby on the table;

– take the head back and open your mouth;

– make sure there are no foreign objects in the oral cavity;

– exhale into the child’s mouth for a long time;

– repeat 3-4 times. If the chest expands, then you have achieved the desired result, the air enters the lungs of the child. If the baby’s chest is immobile, then take urgent measures to eliminate obstructions to breathing;

– after this, we place one palm on top of the other on the child’s chest and press sharply – the chest should straighten out each time;

– alternate this massage and exhalation into the mouth at least 16 times.

What to do when the baby chokes

This can happen in various circumstances: bathing in a bathtub, splashing in a summer inflatable pool or in a pond, falling into a pond, or accidentally inhaling liquid while drinking. Measures to save a choked baby must also be taken as quickly as possible:

– Place the baby on your thigh prone, lowering his head below the body, and press on his back. By doing this, you will help eliminate water from his respiratory tract.

– Make sure that there are no foreign objects or vomit in the child’s mouth.

– Following this, it is necessary to take measures, according to the basic requirements:

– Respiratory patency should be achieved. The baby lies prone, his neck is not bent, the lower jaw is advanced, the tip of the tongue is retracted. We massage the heart, do artificial respiration.

If we do everything as it should be, then we observe the rhythmic movement of the breathing baby’s chest. If these regular movements are absent, but the abdomen is swollen, then breathing does not occur.

For every couple of exhalations, press the chest 15 times. Toddlers up to one year of age should do these movements with two fingers, and only starting from a year old can you use your palm. Pressing forces should be applied on the sternum in the area between the nipples.

Having brought the baby to consciousness, in no case do not refuse his examination in a medical institution. Such an incident may have further undesirable consequences – for example, pulmonary edema within 3 days after the water has entered the respiratory tract.

When your baby accidentally chokes or chokes, you will not have the opportunity to study the advice of professional pediatricians on the Internet for your situation. There won’t be a second to lose. Not only health, but often the life of the child will depend on the speed and effectiveness of your measures. And the best thing you can do now for your child is to learn the most important first aid skills in advance so that when faced with an unexpected incident, you do not panic.

Characteristic signs of colic in a newborn

Colic

Farther

A newborn may cry for a variety of reasons. And it’s not always about infantile colic. To calm the baby, you need to understand what specifically worries him.

Colic or anxious crying?

If the baby cries at different times and quickly calms down in your arms, this is not colic. With such whims, the newborn informs his parents about his needs. You can understand what a newborn wants from you by his behavior and intonation of crying:

If the baby screams loudly and invitingly, it means that he misses his mother and wants to be held. As soon as you approach his bed, he will calm down.
If an infant falls ill , he cries plaintively and monotonously. From a sharp pain, the child cries out and begins to cry incessantly. The kid whines and whimpers intermittently. On your hands can calm down. During illness, lethargy, poor appetite, high temperature (under the arm from 37.8 ° C), bouts of nausea, skin rashes, diarrhea, and pallor are added to whims. These symptoms have nothing to do with colic. At the first sign of discomfort in the baby, call the pediatrician at home. The specialist will be able to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
If a newborn cries loudly and protractedly, and after a while begins to choke, he is hungry. When you take him in your arms, the baby will begin to look for the breast.
If the baby is naughty all day long, drools, puts his hands in his mouth, sometimes starts to cry angrily, it means that he is teething
If the baby is frightened of something, he starts crying suddenly and very loudly. To calm him down, just hug him and rock him.
The baby may experience discomfort during hiccups . Because of this, he begins to whimper quietly and not for very long.
If during a walk, after an active game, at a party or before going to bed, the baby starts to act up, and with any attempts to entertain him, he starts screaming, it means that he is simply tired. As soon as you put him to bed or begin to rock him, the baby will calm down.
Baby can be naughty if he is too hot. At the same time, he waves his arms and legs, sweats, his skin becomes hot. It is necessary to ventilate the nursery, undress the baby and offer him a teaspoon of clean water.
If the baby is cold, he starts to hiccup and sob. To calm him down, wrap him in a blanket, put him on your chest, or give him a warm mixture.
If your baby is whimpering, fidgeting in the crib and still acting up in your arms, it’s time for a diaper change.

Characteristic signs of colic in newborns

Colic crying is a completely different matter. You can’t confuse him with anything. The baby begins to scream heart-rendingly for three hours in a row every day at about the same time, most often after evening feedings or early in the morning. A crying baby cannot be soothed. Attacks are repeated at least three times a week and last up to three months.

Colic is not a disease, but a baby’s reaction to the changes taking place in his body. They are caused by the formation of the digestive and nervous system. When the baby grows up, the seizures will stop.

Understanding that a baby has colic is quite simple. The following signs indicate this:

During the day the baby is active. He feels well, eats normally, and gains weight steadily. By evening, the situation changes dramatically. The baby begins to scream very sharply and loudly for no apparent reason.
Colic crying lasts for several hours in a row. The baby screams non-stop. At times like this, it’s impossible to calm him down. Attacks are repeated every day, but sometimes the baby can take breaks for a couple of days. The baby begins to cry after the evening feeding, at night or early in the morning.
When a baby cries, he is visibly nervous: he jerks his arms and legs, clenches his fists, presses his legs to his stomach, arches his back, fidgets, makes faces, frowns his eyebrows.