We may be amazed at the strange things that babies who are fresh from their mothers’ wombs make from different types of manure, including yellow and green. Believe it or not, their first dead urine is not smelly. It is only when you start feeding them that the bacteria in the gut start to form which then gives this familiar odor to the stool. This is just one of the many things that can surprise newborns.
At Knosearch we explore some of the amazing facts about newborns that are actually common.
1. They have no bony knees.
Because the bone is so hard and prone to breakage, it can make the process of childbirth more difficult and cause injury. Because of this, babies are born with flexible cartilage in the knee joints. Eventually, this cartilage hardens and becomes a kind bone, like in an adult.
2. They have more bones than we do.
In fact, babies are born with about 100 more bones than an adult! They have about 300 bones at birth, and over time they come together to form 206 adult bones. Some of their bones are made of cartilage and as they grow they are replaced by calcium-assisted bones. By the age of 25, the whole process is over and the bones can no longer grow.
3. They can cry a lot, but they have no tears.
Babies’ tear ducts are still developing after birth, so it is not normal for them to be absent at birth. Most babies begin to cry around 2 weeks of age, but some can last up to 2 months. Even if there are no tears yet, newborns spend 2 to 3 hours a day crying. Sometimes they do it for no reason but other times they really try to communicate with you.
4. Sometimes they can’t taste the salt.
Newborns do not react to salt like other flavors, such as sweet or bitter. They do not recognize salt, or do not care about taste. But babies begin to register a salty taste between the ages of 2 and 6 months.
5. They have taste buds in more places than we do.
Babies have the same amount of taste sensations as small and adults, but they cover more areas. Infant taste buds are found not only on the tongue but also on the tonsils and back of the throat.
6. And they remember what they tasted in the womb.
In utero, the baby is surrounded by amniotic fluid, which they suck part of daily. Liquid flavors are from the foods that the mother consumes. By 21 weeks the fetus can distinguish between high- and low-pitched foods. Once they are born, they prefer what their mother eats during pregnancy.
7. They also remember the sounds they heard while in the womb.
If a mother composes a melody to the baby while she is still in the womb, they may still remember it as a newborn. Studies have shown that babies’ brains respond more strongly to their tone at birth and at 4 months of age when they hear a specific melody before birth.
8. They may have a short period of time.
Girls as young as 2-3 years old may experience minor bleeding, but it is usually not a cause for concern. The reason for this “small period” is that they remove the hormones exposed in the uterus. They have no recurrence until puberty.
9. They may also have small breasts.
Newborns (both boys and girls) may have swollen breasts and / or lumps around the chest. Most often, it is due to exposure to maternal hormones in the womb. The same hormones that cause the mother’s breasts to swell can also be applied to the baby’s breasts.
10. Some may also produce milk.
Although “witch’s milk” is used, this is not a mysterious phenomenon and is normal. What happens is that hormones are received from the mother through the placenta while the baby is in the womb. The process continues after they are born breastfeeding. They usually stop producing milk at 2 months of age
11. They can cause acne.
Again, hormones are active here but unlike in adolescence the hormones did not come from them. The baby’s hormones from the mother stimulate their sebaceous glands to cause acne on the skin. Because the pores on a baby’s skin are not yet fully developed, they can easily become dirty.
12. Some babies may have strangely shaped heads.
The reason for this is that sometimes the baby’s head is shaped unevenly as it passes through the birth canal. In other cases, their head shape changes after birth due to the pressure on the back of the head as the baby lies on its back. At the top of their head, the skull bones have 2 soft spots that have not yet grown together, so they can be slightly shaped.
13. They can go overboard.
Newborns often go to the kiwis because they have to have their noses removed more than adults. They have small nasal passages so they can be blocked more easily. By going to the kiwis they remove breast milk, mucus, smoke, and even dust in the air. They still breathe through the mouth and can also contribute to constipation.
14. They may have crossed their eyes.
Some babies are born with extra skin folds in the inner corners of their eyes or a nose with a wide bridge, which can cause them to have cross eyes. But in general there is no need to fear about it, because they will grow on the nose, or their folds will disappear. Their eyesight may not move, but by 3 months their eyes may be moving together.
15. They can even sleep with their eyes open.
It may sound like a straightforward thriller, but it’s not something to be afraid of. It’s more normal than you think, and if you sleep with your eyes open, your baby is more likely too. Also, infants have faster eye movement (REM) sleep than adults. This joins with the still developing nervous system and causes them to open their eyes when they are asleep.
What other strange things are common in newborns? What else do you need to know before having a baby?
