The first days of a newborn's life are exciting moments. We will tell parents about the physiological characteristics of the baby and the rules for organizing care for him.

After birth

The birth of a child is a step in new life, in which everything will be different, because a new little man has appeared in the world, in need of the care and care of his parents. In these first days of a newborn's life, parents will have to get to know their baby and master a lot of unusual activities for themselves.

Changes are exciting, but in less than a week you will feel more confident and calm in your new role. And we will try to support you by acquainting you with the physiological characteristics of newborns and the peculiarities of caring for them.

When the baby is born, the neonatologist determines whether the baby is ready for a new life. First of all, the baby is separated from the umbilical cord. If his condition is satisfactory, then the baby is laid out on his mother's stomach. At the end of the 1st and at the end of the 5th minutes after birth the condition of the baby is assessed on the APGAR scale.

The assessment includes:

• scream character,
• heart rate,
• color of the skin,
• reflexes,
• muscle tone.

This APGAR test is very important for doctors who determine whether or not a newborn needs resuscitation. And if so, to what extent.

A neonatologist is still in the delivery room, on a heated table, the baby is scrupulously examined. The well-being and condition of the child after the birth is assessed, attention is paid to the presence of birth injuries, congenital malformations, breathing and heartbeat are heard with a stethoscope.

After examining the doctor, the midwife takes over: she weighs the baby, measures his height, head and chest circumference. In addition, for the prevention of conjunctivitis, the eyes of a newborn are treated without fail with a 30% solution of sodium sulfacyl.

Well that's all. The baby after the initial examination can be attached to the breast.

Are you disturbed frequent regurgitation baby? It may help to reduce their frequency.

Do you want to diversify the menu of a grown-up kid? We offer original dishes for those who are 1.5 years old.

What does a newborn look like?

The head of a newborn: what to look for

The length of the baby's head is ¼ of the body length, so the baby's body seems small compared to the head. The circumference of the chest is only a couple of centimeters smaller than the head.

Moms, do not be afraid when you see a slightly deformed outline of the head. The slightly elongated and laterally flattened head of the crumbs is the result of passage through the birth canal during natural childbirth. There may also be a so-called birth tumor on the head, which does not require any treatment and disappears in the next 2-3 days.

On the head of all newborns there are non-ossified parts of the skull - fontanelles. The most noticeable fontanel can be perfectly felt by passing the palm above the forehead. It closes completely 1-1.5 years. We talk more about it here. Do not forget to do neurosonography on time -.

Eyes

Newborns have some appearance features that disappear some time after birth.

The newborn does not yet know how to control his eye muscles, it is difficult for him to focus his eyes, so it seems that the baby sometimes “mows”.

Almost all newborns have the same eye color - steel or deep blue. Most often it is called "infant". By 6-12 months, it will change to permanent.

Hair

On the head of a newborn, hair can be practically absent or, conversely, be very thick. Over time, both the thickness of the hair and its color will change.

Nose

The nasal passages are narrow, and the lungs have a small volume, so the newborn has a respiratory rate of 40-60 per minute.

A heart

A small "motor" beats at a frequency of 130-140 beats per minute. In the first days of life, a newborn defecates (stool) up to 7-10 times a day (meconium is called the original feces), and urination up to 20-30 times.

The umbilical cord in a baby usually falls off 5-7 days life, by the time of discharge from the hospital. The umbilical wound in most cases dries up by this time, and there are no discharges on it. But her process is not over yet and you still need to continue to take care of her at home.

The first days of a newborn's life are the strongest stress for the crumbs who left the womb, in which he perfectly existed for 9 months. During this crucial period, there is a restructuring of blood circulation, the formation of thermoregulation, adaptation of the skin to the external environment, a gradual increase motor activity.

How do baby kidneys work?

In the first days of a newborn's life, the pediatrician assesses the condition of the kidneys in various ways.

urine color

Her very first serving is almost transparent and smells nothing. IN first 3-4 day, the urine of the crumbs becomes cloudy and concentrated, acquiring an intense color, as the physiological weight loss. This is considered the norm in the early days, but later it should not be repeated.

Smell

It shouldn't be. A sourish smell reeking of ammonia indicates rickets.

Urination regimen

On the 2nd day, the newborn empties the bladder 5-6 times(this is due to the fact that the baby still eats little, but actively loses moisture when emptying the intestines, breathing and evaporation from the skin).

By the 7-8th day of life, the number of urination reaches the norm - 20-25 times a day.

If the baby urinates much less often, then you need to consult a pediatrician. It has long been noted by mothers and pediatricians that in children on artificial feeding They produce more urine, so they empty their bladder more often.

The physiological state of the newborn

Jaundice in newborns in most cases goes away naturally and without any consequences and complications.

Under physiological should be understood absolutely normal, natural states. Among which:

Weight loss

During the first 3-5 days of life, a newborn may lose 5-8% of their original birth weight. The loss is compensated within 2 weeks of life.

Erythema (reddening of the skin)

This condition is associated with the expansion of skin capillaries in response to exposure to low (compared to intrauterine) temperature. environment. Physiological erythema appears on 1-2 days after birth, disappears on 5-7 days of life.

Jaundice

It occurs in more than half of newborns. It appears on the 2-3rd day of life and, without requiring special treatment, disappears after 7-10 days.

Vaccinations and more

During the first 12 hours after birth, the baby is vaccinated against hepatitis B, and for 3-4 days - against tuberculosis. During the stay in the hospital, the newborn takes a general blood test, which helps to determine the presence of anemia and inflammation in the body, and a blood test for a genetic disease: hypothyroidism and phenylketonuria, which, if detected, require immediate treatment.

Important Points

Dream

Ventilate the room in which the child sleeps more often and do wet cleaning daily

One of the foundations of the correct and emotional development of the child is sound and healthy sleep.

The crib should be spacious, comfortable, with a hard mattress, with a small pillow, and preferably without it at all. you will learn from the review.

The room where the baby will sleep must be ventilated before going to bed. The crib is best placed away from radiators, heaters and windows.

It is very important to protect little man from overheating and drafts. By the way, if there is a need to heat the air in the nursery, it is recommended to use only closed oil heaters, as they are safe and do not burn oxygen.

The most common problem is too dry air in the nursery. You can correct the situation with the help of special humidifiers or time-tested "grandmother's" means: a basin of water, moistened and wrung out curtains.

A baby's daytime sleep in the first month of life can range from 15-30 minutes to 2-3 hours, night - 10-13 hours. A newborn can sleep during the day about 6-8 times a day. Many children wake up very frequently during the night; the strong phase of sleep at best lasts from 12:00 at night to 5:00 in the morning.

Basic measures for caring for a child in the first months of life

walks

You can go for the first walk 7-10 days after discharge from the hospital in the autumn-winter period and already 2-3 days in the spring-summer period. You should start with 5-10 minutes, gradually increasing the duration of the walk.

In the warm season, you can walk for 5-6 hours a day (1.5-3 hours at a time) and 2-3 hours a day in the cold season. If in the first month of a newborn's life the temperature outside drops below -10 ° C, the walk should be postponed until more comfortable weather.

Well, in the end, I would like to remind you that the best thing that a mother can give to her baby is breast milk. It is recommended to feed the baby on demand.

Read about the rules for feeding a newborn baby with breast and milk formula.

And finally, a few more video tips for caring for a child in the first days of life.

In contact with

A child, boy or girl, is the joy of the home. But the first days following discharge from the maternity hospital turn for young mothers, if not into a nightmare, then into a very difficult period of life, since it is difficult to immediately take up the screaming little ball of life right away.

Any woman has an instinct and intuition that will help her cope with herself and get down to business. There are also experienced relatives who are ready to help take care of a boy or a girl. If not, the following highlights will explain what a mother needs to know about her baby in the early days of life. You can also watch videos on the most important aspects of caring for your baby.

The appearance of a newborn in the house is a serious responsibility, most of which falls on a young mother. She vitally needs reliable and complete information about caring for the baby

Where does newborn care begin?

With the hygiene of the baby, his feeding and rest regimen. Hygiene is an important factor in ensuring the health of a growing organism, it is especially important in the first days of his life. How to properly bathe a newborn? From what age of a child are bath procedures allowed?

The baby begins to bathe approximately 5 days after birth. This is due to the fact that in a large number of children by this time the umbilical stump is mummified and falls off (the remainder of the umbilical cord, pinched with a special clothespin-clip). The term for falling off the stump is from 3 to 10 days. Normally, if the umbilical cord is thick and wide, the stump can last up to 2 weeks. What, the child does not bathe all this time? Doctors recommend wet rubdowns.

When the umbilical remnant separates and until healing umbilical wound, the child is recommended to bathe in boiled water. There is another opinion: a number of experts believe that it is enough to add a weakly concentrated manganese solution to the tap water and carefully treat the umbilical wound after the procedure.

Decoctions and extracts of herbs are not added until the umbilical wound heals. In the future, you can bathe the baby in decoctions of herbs in agreement with the pediatrician.

What is required for swimming?

Caring for a baby is a troublesome business, but a pleasant one. For a child, it is better to purchase a personal special baby bath (we recommend reading:). This is both more hygienic, and there is no risk of scaring the baby by plunging into a large bath.

If parents are informed, bathing a baby can be a real pleasure for the whole family. The best tank will be a special baby bath

What else to buy:

• thermometer;
• towel (soft);
• manganese;
• cotton buds;
• hydrogen peroxide;
• solution of brilliant green (brilliant green).

The water temperature should be in the range of 36.6-37 C. A thermometer is used to determine it. If, for some reason, the mother did not have time to purchase a thermometer, the temperature of the water can be determined by pouring a thin stream on the back of the forearm closer to the elbow. The water temperature should be close to body temperature.

Bathing the baby, you should carefully observe him. The thermoregulation of a newborn is not as perfect as that of an adult. Therefore, it can easily become supercooled or overheated. If the child's skin is pale and the nasolabial triangle is slightly blue - the baby is cold, if his skin becomes reddish, he overheats. In this case, you need to change the temperature of the water in the right direction. How to bathe a baby correctly, you can watch the video.

Principles of rational breastfeeding

• correctly give a nipple to a child;
• follow the rule - one feeding one breast (if milk production is in sufficient quantity);
• do not express or do it out of necessity (in case of lactostasis - stagnation of "distant" milk, which the child of the first days of life is not yet able to suck out, or a long absence of the mother);
• take good care of your breasts.

Not every child after birth can take the breast correctly, and not every mother can offer it correctly. Because of this, there can be both feeding problems and damage to the mother's nipples by the gums of the newborn.

When the baby's mouth opens wide, the nipple must be pushed in such a way that it captures not only it, but also the adjacent tissues (the painted area around the nipple, called the alveolus). The alveolus should be almost completely in the child's mouth and only slightly peek out from above. It is better to watch the whole process on the video.

If there is enough milk, modern pediatrics recommends feeding the newborn on demand, especially in the first days after birth. Thus, the baby not only eats, but also communicates with her mother, and also stimulates the production of milk by the mammary glands.

Feeding a baby is a whole art in which there must be a complete intuitive understanding with the baby. If something goes wrong, it's better to watch videos of more experienced moms, where they talk about their secrets.

IN proper care includes nipple treatment (before and after feeding, you need to wash your breasts clean water), using products prescribed by a doctor in case of cracks, and wearing a special bra made from natural materials.

The bra should not be tight, hold the chest well, have wide straps. It is better to buy a special bra. This will allow you to quickly change the tab soaked in milk, treat the breast and feed the newborn.

The correct attitude towards the mammary glands and breast hygiene will allow mommy to maintain her beauty, including her shape, after stopping feeding. You can also watch the care process on video.

Diapers or undershirts?

The choice of clothes for a child after the hospital is probably one of the most controversial issues. Previously, tight swaddling was recommended, today opinions are divided: a number of experts still recommend swaddling a baby, others advise sliders and undershirts.

If the mother chooses swaddling, then the newborn should not be too tight in swaddling clothes, making a “soldier” out of the child, or covering him too warmly. Infants do not tolerate heat well.

How to swaddle a baby, you should watch the video:

If mom chooses loose clothes for a child, you need to wear vests with closed hands or buy scratches for the baby. This will protect the baby from hurting himself. If the baby sleeps very restlessly or wakes itself up, in this case, swaddling may solve the problem.

Should a child wear a cap immediately after discharge from the hospital? If there are no drafts in the room where the baby is located, the temperature regime is observed and the child is healthy, this is not necessary. An exception may be the time after washing the crumbs.

Whether mom prefers swaddling or rompers and undershirts, baby will need diapers. It is better to buy high-quality, "breathable". This reduces the risk of developing diaper dermatitis. Can be used for walking disposable diapers. At home, reusable gauze is better. This is especially true for boys.

The use of diapers is now approved by all doctors, because this is a natural progression. However, you should not get carried away with them either - at home it is better to manage with diapers or reusable diapers

If the baby turned out to be a boy, the act of urination in the first days and even weeks of life can be painful for him. Many boys have congenital phimosis (narrowing foreskin), the additional impact of a reusable diaper exacerbates the discomfort. A tight or overfilled diaper can have a mechanical effect on the penis, thereby causing discomfort.

Any child (both a boy and a girl) does not know how to fully relax when urinating, which makes the process itself unpleasant, and the pressure of the diaper on the penis worsens the situation.

How can a mother take care of herself after childbirth?

It is important that mommy takes care not only of the baby, but also of herself. First of all, it is proper nutrition. Avoid carbonated drinks, legumes, and other foods that cause bloating. You should not eat sweets for many reasons: for example, such food promotes the growth of yeast in the mother's genital tract. You need to cook food for a couple.

As for the baby fresh fruits and vegetables can be introduced into the diet in consultation with the pediatrician, and only one product at a time to assess the reaction of the child to it.

Proper nutrition postpartum moms are a must, especially if she's breastfeeding. It is worth giving preference to natural products, eat less fatty and fried foods

It is very important for a woman after discharge from the hospital and care for her genitals. First, it is advisable to refrain from lifting weights in order to allow the sutures to heal and the uterus to contract normally. If the mother had ruptures during childbirth, and staples were applied to her, you need to feed the baby in a prone position. Sitting is not recommended for 3 weeks postpartum.

Also, for personal hygiene, women who have given birth after the hospital are advised to bathe in the shower, and not take a bath until the vaginal discharge stops. Normally, postpartum discharge can be observed up to 6 weeks. You should contact a gynecologist 2 months after childbirth in order to undergo an examination and make sure that the process of uterine contraction is going on normally and there are no problems.

The first days of a baby after birth are a kind of testing stage for new parents and for the newborn himself. The kid has radically changed his habitat, light and sound accompaniment, nutrition, type of breathing and blood circulation, etc.

Now we need to adapt to all these changes as quickly as possible. The task of adaptation to new living conditions is in the first days of the newborn.

In the first days, the staff of the maternity hospital actively helps the mother in caring for the newborn. But at home, young parents can be confused by the variety of new responsibilities and often conflicting advice that is generously handed out by surrounding relatives and not only.

This article is for those who want to hear the opinion of a specialist and an experienced parent, formulated in an accessible language, clearly and concisely.

What can mothers face in the first days after the birth of a baby in the hospital?

We repeat once again that in the first seven days the child passes early period adaptation. Adaptation to new waterless conditions. Now the baby does not have to maintain a constant body temperature from the outside, uninterrupted power supply through the umbilical cord, the usual beating of a mother's heart nearby.

Immediately after delivery, your baby is taken to be examined by a neonatologist, to be processed, changed and weighed. Then the baby will be brought to you and placed on your breast.

Early attachment to the mother's breast is both skin-to-skin contact between mother and child and the beginning of an invisible emotional bond between mother and newborn. This is the baby's immunity, which is triggered by antibodies and immune cells contained in colostrum. This is the settlement of the first microflora in the baby's intestines.

Don't worry about feeding. Even if the baby literally eats two drops of colostrum or licks them off the nipple. He doesn't need much right now. And nutritious colostrum is able to satisfy all the needs of the crumbs at the moment.

The next two hours the puerperal will spend in the maternity ward under the supervision of doctors. Further stay of mother and baby can be joint or separate.

When staying together, the baby's crib is next to the mother's bed, and they are constantly nearby. With a separate stay, most of the time the child is in the children's department of the maternity hospital. They bring it to mom for feeding.

Experts recommend a joint mode of stay after childbirth. It's good for both mom and baby. For mom, this contributes to the rapid establishment of lactation and uterine contraction. It is more physiological for the baby to be in close relationship with the mother, as before.

If everything is in order with mom and baby, there is little time after childbirth before meeting and getting to know your baby. As a rule, in a few days of staying in the maternity hospital, mothers have time to enjoy the moments of acquaintance and communication with the baby, feeding.

But there are different situations when cohabitation is impossible or undesirable due to the peculiarities of the condition of the mother or child after childbirth.

It is worth dwelling separately on the states of a newborn, which parents, especially mothers, can scare in the early days. Especially when mom and baby are together.

Moreover, in some cases, mommy will be ashamed to ask a doctor about this. And sometimes, to be honest, the doctor will not be able or will not want to explain to the mother in detail and in an accessible way the features of her situation with the child. And this will even more excite and frighten parents.

Borderline or transient conditions of newborns are temporary symptoms that occur in connection with the adaptation of a small organism. These conditions do not require special treatment. As a rule, by the end of the neonatal period, that is, by the 28th day of the baby's life, everything passes without a trace.

These include:

1. Physiological weight loss

The body weight of the baby decreases due to the restructuring of the baby to a new type of nutrition. When leaving the aquatic environment "on land", there is a kind of shortage of milk and water in the first day. Also, the baby passes the original feces (meconium), the rest of the umbilical cord dries up.

In order to make up for energy costs, in the first days the body of a newborn uses its own depot of special brown fat, which is concentrated in the neck, kidneys, and upper back. Loss of body weight should not exceed 6-10% of the original weight at birth.

After 3-4 days of life, the baby begins to gain weight (from 10 to 50 g per day). By the 12th day healthy baby must regain the lost weight.

2. Toxic erythema

Occurs more often 3-5 days after birth. It is a pink spotted rash with yellow seals in the center. The elements of the rash can be of different sizes: from pinpoint to a centimeter, do not itch.

The rash appears most often on the chest, face, on the extensor surfaces of large joints and around them (elbow, shoulder, knee). At the same time, nothing bothers the baby, his well-being does not suffer.

This condition occurs due to the penetration into the blood of toxins of microorganisms that the baby has encountered during this time. These include even opportunistic bacteria that inhabited the baby's intestines in the first days of life.

As a rule, toxic erythema is more common in babies who have a hereditary predisposition to allergies.

This condition usually does not require treatment. With a pronounced process, it is recommended to increase the baby's drinking regimen and sometimes antihistamine (anti-allergic) drugs are prescribed. Normally, the rash disappears in 2-3 days.

3. Other transient skin manifestations

• The bright red color of the skin of a newborn is a kind of reaction to irritants (removal of birth lubrication, dry air, unusual low temperature environment).
• Large-lamellar peeling of the skin in newborns is observed due to a change in habitat and excessive evaporation of moisture from the skin. It manifests itself in almost all parts of the body, but is more pronounced on the abdomen, shins and feet.
• Milia - small dots white color on the back and wings of the nose, on the chin of a newborn. The cause of this condition is blockage of the sebaceous glands. By the 2-3rd week of life, the ducts of the sebaceous glands open, and the milia gradually pass.
• Increased pigmentation (darkening) of the skin around the nipples and scrotum in boys is a manifestation of hormonal changes in the baby's body. These rearrangements are associated with a massive release of female sex hormones during childbirth in the mother. The dark color of the skin disappears without any treatment by the 3rd week of the baby's life.
• Telangiectasias are raspberry-colored spots in the occipital fossa, on the forehead and in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe nose of the baby. They are an extended network of capillaries (spider veins). In the people, this manifestation was called the "mark of the stork." Telangiectasias gradually fade and disappear by the year.

4. Sexual (hormonal) crisis

The cause of this condition is the high level of female sex hormones in last days pregnancy and at the time of childbirth and their impact on the body of the newborn.

This appears:

• engorgement of the mammary glands, their increase and compaction for 3-5 days. Sometimes even a light sticky secret (colostrum) is secreted from the gland. Within a week, everything passes without any treatment;
• an increase due to their swelling of the large and small labia, the clitoris in girls, the scrotum in boys;
• the release of an abundant mucous secretion of a grayish-whitish color from the genital slit in 60-70% of girls. Sometimes there is a bloody discharge (metrorrhagia). They usually disappear after a few days.

5. Physiological jaundice

Icteric staining of the skin, sclera and mucous membranes appears on the 2nd-3rd day of the baby's life. The color intensity reaches a maximum on the 4-6th day, and disappears by the 7-10th day. At the same time, the baby feels good.

The cause of this condition is the breakdown of a large amount of fetal (fetal) hemoglobin of erythrocytes (red blood cells) of the newborn. This natural process replacement of fetal hemoglobin with new "adult" hemoglobin. In this case, the breakdown product of red blood cells, free bilirubin, is released into the blood, which must be utilized by the liver.

But the low enzymatic activity of the immature liver of a newborn does not allow this to be done in short time. The level of bilirubin in the blood of a newborn ranges from 26-34 to 130-170 µmol/l.

Premature babies are more likely to develop this condition and last longer. Also, manifestations of jaundice are more pronounced in babies who started to feed late. breast milk or with a lack of milk from the mother.

It is necessary to strictly monitor the time of appearance and increase in the intensity of icteric coloration of the skin, since jaundice cannot be physiological. For example, with a Rh-conflict of the blood of a mother and a baby, when the mother has Rh-negative blood, and the baby has Rh-positive.

6. Transient violations of thermoregulation (hyperthermia and hypothermia)

Immediately after birth, a decrease in body temperature of the newborn occurs as a compensatory response to a lower ambient temperature, to the evaporation of moisture from the skin.

Therefore, to prevent even greater heat loss in the delivery rooms, the temperature is maintained at least 24 ° C, the newborn is placed on a heated table for examination, then wrapped in warm diapers. During the first day of life, the child's temperature is within the normal range.

By the 3-5th day of a baby's life, his body temperature may rise to 38.5 ° C. The reason for everything is the immaturity of the centers of thermoregulation of the brain of a newborn, adaptation to dry air with a variable temperature. The child bears large losses of fluid with respiration. In addition, the mother has a small amount of milk in the first days of lactation.

7. Transient neurological symptoms

Periodic shuddering, intermittent strabismus, slight trembling of the chin when screaming, difference in muscle tone from the left and right side, inconstancy of muscle tone and reflexes, painful crying or screaming - all this is considered the norm in the first weeks of a baby's life.

The immaturity of the brain of a newborn is to blame. In addition, at the time of birth, the baby experiences an acute lack of oxygen.

There is a so-called failure of the balance of the processes of excitation and inhibition in the nervous system of the crumbs. Therefore, he needs time to rebuild and learn to perceive such a large flow of information (sound, light, tactile sensations).

8. Transient disorders of the kidneys

• Neonatal oliguria - in the first three days, urine output is less than 15 ml per kg of the child's weight per day. So the baby's body adapts to new conditions, where the flow of fluid due to unsteady nutrition is limited and there are fluid losses with breathing.
• The appearance of protein in the urine of a newborn in the first days of life is considered the norm. This fact indicates the activation of the function of the glomeruli of the kidneys. And, like many systems, the filtration system of the renal glomeruli and tubules in the newborn is still imperfect. Therefore, the epithelium of the renal glomeruli has increased permeability, which leads to protein loss.
• Uric acid infarction is the deposition of uric acid crystals in the lumen of the collecting ducts of the kidneys. This condition occurs in every sixth newborn.

Since the decay product of many cells, for example, blood cells, is uric acid, its excess does not have time to utilize the kidneys of a newly born baby.

In the analysis of urine, uric acid, epithelium, hyaline casts, leukocytes appear. At the same time, brick-yellowish spots from urine appear on the diaper or diaper.

9. Transient disorder of the stool of the newborn (dyspepsia)

A newly born baby will need time for the gastrointestinal tract to rebuild to a different type of nutrition, to be populated with beneficial microflora. This process of adaptation in almost every baby proceeds through the stages below:

• For the first 2 days, the baby passes the original feces in meager portions (thick, tarry meconium).
• From the 3rd to the 7th day, a transitional stool appears. This is a frequent (up to 10-15 per day), non-homogeneous stool both in consistency and in color. There are impurities of mucus, lumps, a liquid component in it, which manifests itself as a spot of water on a diaper around the feces. The color of the feces gradually changes from dark olive to yellow.
• After 7-8 days the stool returns to normal. With natural feeding, the stool is a yellow, thick, homogeneous slurry without an admixture of greenery. Whitish lumps (curdled breast milk) may appear in a small amount.

When feeding with an adapted mixture, the stool in children is denser, with a sharper odor.

10. Transient immunodeficiency

A newly born baby has a transient decrease in immune forces. Immunity is defensive forces organism.

The reason for this is the stress experienced during childbirth, hormonal changes at the time of birth, the change of sterile conditions to an active attack of foreign microorganisms, unsteady nutrition in the first days of life, and so on.

The most dangerous period in terms of infection is the first three days. Therefore, it is so important to observe sterile conditions for newborns in maternity hospitals.

All of the above manifestations disappear on their own and do not require specific treatment. Therefore, you should not be afraid of them, but it is very important to monitor the dynamics of such symptoms in order to seek help from specialists in time.

Obviously, it is much calmer and better if mommy knows about the possibility of developing such conditions in advance.

The first days of a newborn at home

Now let's talk about the first days of the baby already at home. More precisely, what difficulties do parents face in caring for a baby, being left alone with him.

After all, almost all hygiene procedures in the maternity hospital, the medical staff performed, and at home, mommy can be confused from a lack of experience in these matters.

Morning toilet (washing, nose toilet, rinsing)

After waking up, the baby needs to be washed. To do this, take a few cotton balls and moisten them with warm boiled water. Wipe baby's eyes with slightly damp cotton balls from the outer edge of the eye to the inner edge. Then wipe the entire face.

Wipe the baby's skin with blotting movements of a soft towel or diaper, in no case rub. It is necessary to ensure that water does not flow into the neck folds and does not remain there, and if this happens, then carefully wipe the moisture dry.

As a rule, after sleeping, crusts accumulate in the baby's nose, which prevent him from breathing freely. You can get rid of them with the help of cotton flagella moistened with vaseline oil or boiled water. Flagella must be made independently.

To do this, you can take a small piece of cotton wool and roll it into a dense flagellum 3-4 cm long and 0.3-0.4 cm thick. Thus, it will be easy for you to insert it into the nasal cavity. By scrolling it, you will collect and twist all the crusts from the walls of the baby's nose onto a cotton flagellum.

Babies don't need to clean their ears often. It is enough to wipe dry the auricle and the skin behind it after bathing. Often in babies, especially after sleeping in a hat, the skin behind the ear gets wet. It is important to rinse this area and wipe dry. It is necessary to ensure that this area is well ventilated and not wet.

There are small nuances in washing babies of different sexes.

The girl needs to be washed from front to back, so that the remnants of feces and all impurities do not fall into the genital gap. Due to the proximity of the outlets of the rectum, urethra and vagina, girls are at high risk of infection entering the genitourinary tract.

When washing, the girl needs to be positioned facing herself, put the back of the baby’s head in the elbow bend of her arm and support the baby’s torso with her forearm. With a widely spaced brush, hold the girl by the buttocks, and wash the skin of the perineum with your free hand.

Boys can be washed in different ways. Over time, you will adapt to hold the baby when washing exactly the way you feel comfortable. Over time, this will be easier to do, because the baby will soon try to support the little head.

Children should be washed under running water. Washing babies in a basin is highly undesirable, as there is a high risk of introducing an infection with contaminated water into the urinary tract.

The baby's diaper should be changed regularly, approximately every three hours and as it gets dirty. Until the umbilical wound heals, the upper part of the diaper must be tucked under it.

In the first weeks of life (and in the next, too), it is important to give the baby a break from the hot and heavy diaper. After all, the number of urination and defecation can reach up to 20 per day.

It is advisable to carry out air baths without a diaper several times a day, monitoring the temperature of the baby's skin and preventing hypothermia.

Newborn's first bath

Almost immediately after arriving from the maternity hospital, the newborn needs to be bathed, because the child was only washed away in the maternity hospital. The skin of the baby at this time is already peeling off on the chest and abdomen and needs to be updated. But since the umbilical wound has not yet healed, the possibility of infection is high, so the bathing water must be boiled.

Where you will bathe the child - in a bath or a bath - does not matter much. But I am for the fact that at least before the healing of the navel, the child has his own individual bath.

You must keep in mind that while bathing, the head and neck of the newborn must be supported with one hand at all times, so that water does not enter the baby's ears. Therefore, it is better to call an assistant for the first time bathing the baby.

It is better for the assistant to stand on the other side of the bath. And the approach from two sides is possible only to a free-standing bath. It is also convenient that you can put a small bath at any height convenient for you and in the warmest room in the house (relevant in winter).

In the first six months, you need to bathe the child daily. The water temperature should be 37-38°C, the air temperature in the room 22-24°C. It is better to bathe before feeding.

The first couple of days you need to bathe the baby in water with the addition of potassium permanganate, and then with a decoction of herbs (preferably a string). Potassium permanganate should be diluted in a separate container so that potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) crystals do not get on the baby's skin during bathing. The prepared concentrate of potassium permanganate in a separate container is then added to a bath of water, so that the water acquires a barely pink color.

The child may be afraid of the first immersion in the bath. In order for this dive to be smooth, so that the temperature difference is not felt so much, it is better to bathe the baby in the first time in a diaper.

The diaper also prevents a sudden hypothermia of the baby's skin, which can be with intensive evaporation of water from the baby's skin.

For bathing, the baby wrapped in a diaper is placed smoothly into the water, and first one handle is washed in turn, and then covered with a moistened diaper. Only then proceed to washing the next part of the body.

You can use soap no more than once a week.

The first bathing session should not last longer than 7-10 minutes. That's why another pair of hands will not hurt in this case.

When bathing, take Special attention baby's folds. Rinse them thoroughly, and then pat all areas of the skin dry with a soft towel.

To prevent diaper rash in the folds after bathing, it is better to use powder. Not always greasy diaper creams are suitable for a baby and prevent the appearance of redness and diaper rash.

In modern diapers, impregnation is almost always used in order to protect the skin of the baby. And in practice, not all creams and ointments interact well with the components of this impregnation. Therefore, many layers of all kinds of care products can play a cruel joke on you and your child.

A newborn needs to be treated at least once a day. With a pronounced weeping of the navel, you can toilet the wound twice a day. This is usually done after bathing.

In the first days after the removal of the umbilical cord, the navel is covered with a dense bloody crust, which must be removed. After bathing, when she gets wet, this is easier to do.

It is necessary to spread the edges of the umbilical wound with clean hands and generously drop a few drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide into it. Leave for 20-30 seconds, and then dry the wound, extinguishing it with a cotton swab on a stick. Then treat the bottom of the umbilical wound with a cotton swab on a stick with a 1% solution of brilliant green (brilliant green).

Haircut (trimming) of nails

You can cut your baby's nails right after the hospital. As a rule, during this period it is already necessary, since a full-term baby is born with a small but sharp manicure. Nails are very scratchy and break easily.

Trim your nails in a straight line with scissors with rounded ends. This will reduce the risk of burrs and infection of the nail bed.

Baby's first walk

At good health child and favorable weather, you can walk with the child on the street immediately after discharge from the hospital. The duration of the first walk should not exceed 15-20 minutes.

So that the fees for the street are not delayed, the child does not overheat and does not sweat during the fees for a walk, choose spacious and easily closed clothes.

With severe anxiety, the first short walk can be taken in the arms of the mother.

It is worth going out for a walk after feeding. So it is more likely that the child has a good sleep in the fresh air.

IN summer time active solar time should be avoided. That is, it is better to walk with a child before 11 am or after 4 pm. In winter, walks should be canceled when the temperature drops below -10 ° C.

In the summer, the baby needs to put on one more clothes than on himself, and in the winter - two more. Plus, keep in mind that a child at this age often sleeps on the street, so you need to cover him with a blanket.

Feeding regimen in the first days

You can talk about food endlessly. The topic of feeding can be developed for the same volume of the article. Therefore, for newly-made mothers, I will only touch on regime moments here.

An important question - to feed on demand or by the hour?

Answer: It is desirable to feed a newborn baby with breast milk on demand. If desired, after a month of life, the crumbs gradually switch to a feeding regimen every two hours.

When feeding with milk replacers, a regimen is necessary. Therefore, it is not necessary to give the mixture earlier than 3-3.5 hours after feeding. Food must be digested. Otherwise, you cannot avoid increased gas formation and colic.

The period of the first weeks of a baby's life consists practically of feedings, smoothly flowing into sleep. A newborn in the early days can be awake up to 4 hours a day.

In conclusion, I will summarize. The first days of the baby is the most crucial moment, which the necessary information on the topic will help the mother to pass more smoothly. You have just received this information!

Health to you and your children!

A practicing pediatrician, twice mother Elena Borisova-Tsarenok told you about the features of the first days of a newborn.

This topic will combine several articles on our website, which will briefly highlight the issues that arise for newly-made parents immediately after discharge from the hospital. The series of these articles is designed for parents who have had their first child, in order to draw their attention to important points newborn life. More detailed information on these issues will be posted in separate thematic articles.

The first days of a newborn's life- the most exciting and difficult for parents, especially if it is the first-born. What do new parents need to know? Of course, you have already carefully prepared for the appearance of a baby in your family, read a bunch of books, watched dozens of educational videos, heard a lot of advice from friends, acquaintances and not-so-familiar people ... but theory always differs from practice! and besides, how do you know which advice is right and which is not?

In the maternity hospital, with the joint maintenance of the mother and the newborn child, the mother receives the first most necessary skills for caring for the baby under the supervision of experienced doctors and midwives, she learns to wash the baby, wash, take care of the skin, change diapers, feed properly ... modern clothes for newborns (slips ), which is used from birth, relieves modern parents from the need to swaddle a child (and this is not at all easy!). In general, a mother, by the time she is discharged from the hospital, receives the most necessary skills for caring for a baby and gets acquainted with the baby’s daily routine.

Daily routine of a newborn baby

Let's start with what last years The opinion of doctors about the daily routine of a newborn has changed dramatically! If earlier feeding was recommended at a strictly set time, today the child is recommended to be fed “on demand”, that is, when the baby wants to eat, which he will report with the only means available to him - crying. The rest of the time in the first 3 months of life, a healthy baby sleeps. I must say that diapers have greatly facilitated the life of parents and allowed the kids to sleep peacefully, as much as they want. Don't forget to change diapers between bedtime and feedings.

Thus, the daily routine in the first days of a newborn's life comes down to what the child eats when he is hungry, and when he does not eat, he sleeps. Do not worry that the newborn will eat more than he needs, this is impossible!

You still need to find time for bathing, it is more convenient to do it before a night's sleep, in the interval of 19 - 21 hours, orient yourself according to your baby's schedule.

If the newborn often cries and does not sleep, then this is a reason to contact the pediatrician, perhaps you do not have enough milk and the baby is hungry, perhaps something is bothering him and he needs medical help.

And in the first days after discharge from the hospital, mom is also recommended to sleep more in order to restore strength. After all, mom was tired: at first she prepared for childbirth, and collected, then the most difficult thing was childbirth, after she passed, for which she still had to prepare a set of things.

Soon, the parents of the baby will have to deal with the execution of all necessary documents:

And it will take 7-10 days from discharge and it will already be possible to walk with the baby on the street. Of course, if the weather allows, you can start if the temperature outside is not lower than -10 degrees.

Baby feeding

Feeding is the most important thing in a newborn's life! There are two options for feeding the baby:

• breast-feeding,
• artificial feeding,
• mixed feeding.

Incorrect attachment to the breast can cause damage to the nipple

Breastfeeding, of course, is indispensable and incomparable in importance for the child, and we will not give arguments in favor of natural breastfeeding in this article. breastfeeding, but just briefly list what problems a nursing mother may face:

Mixed feeding is used when the mother does not have enough milk, in this case also consult a pediatrician.

Artificial feeding is used in cases where natural feeding is not possible for any reason. In this case, together with the pediatrician, you need to choose the mixture with which you will feed the child and strictly follow all the recommendations. We will write a separate article about artificial feeding. Don't miss her release. Subscribe to our newsletter.

The very birth of a child is one of the most difficult periods of his life. At the time of birth Small child subjected to incredible trials. In the womb, the child was as comfortable as possible: a constant temperature, an uninterrupted supply of nutrients, protection from physical injury.

But during childbirth, there is a transition from the water to the air environment. The child still does not hear anything - the inner ear is filled with fluid. The light blinds him. The delicate skin of the baby feels touch, which is rather unpleasant for him. For a child, the temperature difference is experienced in the same way as if an adult undressed, doused himself cold water and went out into the cold. The air filling the lungs of the child will cause him severe pain. After being stunned and blinded, the infant begins to cry out frantically, and his chest constricts involuntarily. The first cry is the beginning of the respiratory process. The first breath is very important and necessary, as the brain needs oxygen. The maximum time to establish breathing, at an average air temperature - 5 minutes.

After birth, the restructuring of systems vital for the child begins, and the inclusion of mechanisms that did not work in the womb. The respiratory system begins to function, the work of the heart is rebuilt, the body forms the ability to independently regulate internal temperature, digestive system, intestines and excretory system are trying to adapt. The restructuring and adjustment of the work of all body systems does not occur in conditions of complete calm, but during a period of birth stress. Due to birth stress, the child starts the process of adaptation of systems. The basis of the newborn period is adaptation to the changed conditions of existence. This period takes 4 weeks. The adaptation period is divided into two stages: early (0–7 days) and late (8–28 days). The child at this time is called a newborn. The body of the baby in the first month is very fragile and most susceptible to harmful effects environment. Therefore, a newborn needs careful care, which is impossible without knowledge of certain features of his body. The most crucial period in the life of a newborn is the first 7 days (early stage).

Weight and body size of a newborn baby.

The duration of a normal pregnancy is 38–40 weeks, or 227–280 days. A newborn born at term has a mass of 3200–3500 years. His height, on average 45–54 cm, affects the weight and height of a newborn child by many factors: in what conditions did the mother live during pregnancy, her nutritional habits, past illnesses, age and what is the pregnancy in a row, and much more.

From the moment of birth and the next few days of life, the baby's body weight decreases, as the child loses water during breathing and sweating. The duration of weight loss in a newborn does not exceed 4 days and is approximately 6% of the total body weight. Greater weight loss is observed in firstborns, larger children, and also after difficult births. But already in the first 10 days, body weight is completely restored.

Newborn skin.

A healthy newborn has very delicate velvety skin. To the touch it is firm and elastic at the same time. Therefore, it is not recommended to wipe the baby with a towel after bathing. It is best to dry the baby's skin by applying a soft sheet to his body. In order not to infect the skin of the newborn and pustules do not form on it, it is necessary to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and then take the child.

At the time of birth, the baby's skin may be pale with a bluish tint, but immediately after the start of the respiratory process, it turns pink, and later becomes bright red. One of the causes of baby's pale skin is hypoxia, when the tissues of the body in the womb do not receive enough oxygen. Also, birth trauma, acute adrenal insufficiency, heart disease, damage to the cervical spine, or an infectious disease can serve as causes. When diagnosing the above causes, the main thing is timely treatment.

The yellow color of the skin in a newborn, in the first three days, indicates physiological jaundice. It appears due to the destruction of red blood cells, since their excess is no longer needed due to the onset of spontaneous breathing. Due to the fact that the liver does not have time to turn the released bilirubin into bile, the skin and eyes of the newborn turn yellow. Yellowness goes away after about 2 weeks without treatment. Complications during the period of jaundice may appear if there is a mismatch in the blood type or Rh factor. In this case, intensive care is carried out in the maternity hospital.

Sometimes yellowish-white dots are observed on the nose of a newborn. This is a secret that has accumulated in the subcutaneous sebaceous glands. You do not need to treat them, as they will go away on their own.

Often, red spots are observed on the eyes, face and in the back of the head in a newborn. Their manifestation is due to the expansion of blood vessels in places of redness. After 3-4 months, the spots will disappear without any treatment.

The appearance of red spots on the skin of an infant often indicates an allergic reaction of the newborn's body to substances that enter it from the mother's body during breastfeeding. This mainly happens when the mother consumes chocolate, citrus or eggs. The rash disappears as soon as these foods are eliminated from the mother's diet.

On the 5th day of a baby's life, the skin may begin to peel off strongly. There is no need to worry, everything will pass without treatment.

If there are age spots on the skin of a newborn that rise above the surface of the skin, contact a dermatologist who will prescribe necessary treatment child.

skin functions.

The skin protects the human body from harmful chemical and mechanical influences. But the skin of a newborn is subject to mechanical damage and is not able to resist chemical attack and infections. Even the slightest injury to the skin of a newborn can provoke purulent skin diseases.

The skin plays an important role in the process of thermoregulation of the body. But during the first 4 months of life, this function of the skin is very weak. Because of this, newborns quickly become hypothermic. When dressing a child, the air temperature must be taken into account.

Undoubtedly, the skin breathes. For a newborn, breathing through the skin has great importance. Therefore, it is necessary to bathe the child constantly and as often as possible, which will allow the skin to be always clean.

The skin has the ability to produce certain substances. For example, if the skin is exposed to the sun (ultraviolet) rays, it forms vitamin D. Therefore, it is recommended to leave the child completely undressed for some time. Air baths improve skin respiration, forming the substances necessary for the body in the skin, and also give a hardening effect.

Swelling of the mammary glands.

Regardless of gender, on the 5-10th day of life, the breasts of the newborn swell. This is influenced by hormones that enter the baby's body with mother's milk. It happens that the skin around the glands turns red and touching them is painful. It is advisable not to touch the glands and not to treat them. It will go away on its own in 3 weeks.

Musculoskeletal system.

Bones in newborns are elastic. They rarely break and grow together quickly, but are easily deformed. The reasons for the curvature of the bones of newborns are: carrying the baby on one arm, planting it in pillows ahead of time and not supporting it under the armpits when standing up.

The muscles of the baby are very thin and weak, despite the formation. The head of a small child, without support, will helplessly hang down. It is necessary to help the child, laying it out as often as possible on the tummy. And by the end of the first month, the occipital muscles will get stronger, and the child will hold his head on his own.

Between the top of the head and the forehead, one can observe a place in the skull where there is no bone - the fontanel. At normal development it grows by 14 months. But if a child has rickets or another disease, the overgrowth process can be delayed and go much worse.

The head of a newborn is relatively large. If in an adult the head is 1/8 of the length of the entire body, then in an infant it is 1/4. The average volume of the head is 34 cm.

Teeth.

At birth, the baby is usually toothless. mainly falls on 6-8 month life. The birth of a child immediately with teeth is a very rare occurrence, which contributes to the complication of the process. Eruption begins with the lower middle incisors. Behind them are the upper incisors, first the middle ones, then the lateral ones. By the age of one year, the child erupts up to 8 teeth, and by two years - 20.

Body hair and nails.

The entire body of the baby is covered with fine hairs. After two weeks, the hairline is significantly reduced.

In a full-term baby, the head is also covered with hair, the length of which reaches 2 cm. It happens that babies are born with long, thick hair - this is the norm. At birth, the hair color is dark, but later it can change. The first hair falls out for the most part, and another grows in its place. Eyelashes and eyebrows are made up of several hairs, so it may seem that they do not exist at all.

Babies very often scratch their face with their nails, as they are already formed. Therefore, the newborn is put on undershirts with closed sleeves or special mittens.

Respiratory system.

The newborn has a very delicate nasal mucosa and narrow nasal passages, so even with minor inflammation, breathing can be very difficult.

unconditioned reflexes.

The presence of unconditioned reflexes in a newborn helps him to respond correctly to external stimuli, and quickly adapt to life. Reflexes are the reactions of the body to the actions of the stimulus, which are carried out under control nervous system.

Within a few hours after birth, some unconditioned reflexes are observed in the baby, the rest can be detected in a couple of days.

Reflexes that can be easily observed are sucking and swallowing. Their role is to provide nutrition to the infant.

To check for a search engine Kussmaul-Genzler reflex, it is necessary to touch the baby's skin near the corner of the mouth with a nipple or finger. The child should turn his head in the right direction, open his lips and try to get a finger or nipple with his mouth.

A grasping reflex is also observed, although during this period it is false and is lost by 3 months. But if a baby lying on his back put his fingers in his palms, he will squeeze them with such force that he can be lifted into the air without fear that he will open his fingers.

Automatic gait and support reflexes are also present. Taking the baby under the armpits from the back and index fingers, supporting his head, it is necessary to touch his feet to any surface. At first, the child pulls back and pulls the legs to the stomach, but then straightens them and rests on the surface with a full foot. If the baby is tilted slightly forward, he will begin to move his legs, as if walking.

The protective reflex is manifested at the moment the baby is laid out on the stomach. He fights, tries to raise his head or turns it to the side. Such actions are aimed at maintaining unhindered breathing.

From the first days of a baby's life, it is necessary to reckon with the facts that the newborn is afraid of falling and sharp sounds. This was discovered when psychologists and physiologists studied the behavior of an infant.

When a child lies on his stomach, he manifests a labyrinth tonic reflex: hands and head are pressed to the chest, legs are bent and pulled up to the stomach, the back is arched. By the end of the first year of life, this trainable posture is replaced by swimming movements and the subsequent transition to the crawling reflex.

A newborn is able to crawl as early as 3 days after birth - Bauer reflex. To check for a reflex, you need to lay the child on his stomach and push into the soles. The child will begin to make uncoordinated swimming movements with his arms and legs.

If you take the baby in your arms in a prone position and sharply lower it down by 20 cm, and then immediately raise it, then Moro reflex- the child’s arms will first spread apart and the fists will open, but after a second they will return to their original position, trying to grab the torso.

For manifestation Galant reflex it is necessary to draw a finger from top to bottom along the back of a child lying on his stomach on the side of the spine. In response, the baby's torso will arch, and the leg and handle of the irritating side will bend. And if you run your finger along the vertebrae of a child from the bottom up, then his back will arch, and his legs will be pulled up to his stomach - the Perez reflex will appear.

The plantar reflex is characterized by flexion of the toes when the baby is pressed on the middle of the sole. But, acting on the outer edge of the feet, the Babinsky reflex appears - it unbends thumb legs and fan-shaped opening of the remaining toes.

In premature babies, unconditioned reflexes are weakly expressed or absent, due to the immaturity of the central nervous system that regulates the vital activity of the whole organism.

All reflex movements are very important for the development of motor activity in a child. It is necessary from the first days of life to specifically deal with the baby, causing him to reflex movements. Gymnastic complexes for children of the first six months of life contain exercises for the manifestation of reflexes. After six months, the value of unconditioned reflexes decreases, and the child masters purposeful movements.

If unconditioned reflexes are evoked with difficulty or are not observed, or occur after a long period of time after using the stimulus or very sharply, damage to the nervous system can be assumed, and it is necessary to immediately contact a neurologist.

The reaction of the senses.

Immediately after birth, the child has all the senses. They must be investigated in order to compensate and restore it if the failure of the sense organs is detected, otherwise it will adversely affect the psychological development of the child.

The child is able to enjoy the sweet, indignantly perceive the bitter, salty or sour. The baby is able to distinguish smells, but his reaction to them is the same: he closes his eyes, frowns, sneezes, sometimes screams.

The newborn reacts to heat and cold with rapid movements of the arms and legs, with strong unpleasant sensations the baby may cry. These reactions must be taken into account when carrying out hardening procedures, as they should give the baby pleasure. If this is not the case, then the procedure should be stopped. If during the adoption of air baths, the movements of the baby become slow, it is necessary to stop the procedure.

A newborn is able to instantly respond to pain and touch, to distinguish light from darkness. Already in the first hours after birth, the child is able not only to see, but also to distinguish closely spaced objects in size and shape. Bright light irritates the baby. If you bring a lamp to the eyes of a sleeping newborn, he will close his eyelids more tightly.

Due to the fact that the fluid in the inner ear, the first two days after birth, the child does not hear anything. But soon the children develop excellent hearing. The newborn is irritated by strong sounds, his breathing quickens, and he tries to turn towards the source of the sound. From the first week of life, the baby shows amazing abilities: he distinguishes sounds not only in height, but is also able to distinguish human speech, react to the human voice and listen to it with concentration.

If all the above reactions are weak or, on the contrary, too violent, inform the pediatrician and neurologist, as the child most likely needs help, and in time, unformed sense organs can slow down mental development child.