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Monday, September 13, 2004
On newborn babes
By Dear Tita Doc
Finally, he’s here! Your newborn baby. Imagine your thrill, joy, and excitement. Then, anxiety. Are babies supposed to do that? Or this? Should you stay calm or rush to the nearest emergency room?
My newborn hiccups a lot. Is there anything I can do to prevent this? (Elaine E., Punta Princesa)
For some reason, newborn babies tend to hiccup a lot, especially in the first three months of life. Giving your baby water or putting a moistened thread on your baby’s forehead will not stop the hiccups. Although baby may sound uncomfortable while hiccupping, the truth is he is not uncomfortable at all. There is nothing wrong with him either. The hiccups will go away spontaneously with or without sips of water or moistened thread. So let your baby hiccup away happily!
I’m worried. We have been so careful not to expose our two-week-old Gerald to anybody with colds but he has started sneezing. (Joe L., Talamban)
Newborns have to breathe through their noses. They do not know that they can also breathe through the mouth because mouth breathing is a learned behavior. So Mother Nature has provided a way to help babies keep their nasal passages clear from dust, milk, or mucus. This is the sneezing reflex. If sneezing is not accompanied by other signs and symptoms like running nose, irritability, or decrease in sucking, then there is nothing to worry about. More often than not, Gerald’s sneezing may simply mean that he is trying to keep his nose clean.
I have just given birth and my baby makes this sudden jerky movement with her arms and legs when there is a loud noise. To which doctor should I bring her to? (Jesyl D., Talisay city)
As your baby is a newborn, any loud noise or any sudden movement around her when she is lying on her back will startle her and cause her to fling out her arms outward and then bring her arms towards her body. This is called —you guessed it— the startle reflex (see how original doctors are at naming things?). Another name for this is the Moro reflex. This is normal baby behavior up to around three months of age and means that your baby has an intact central nervous system. You start to worry and run to your pediatrician if your baby is less than three months old and does not have the startle reflex.
When we came home from the hospital after I gave birth, my baby girl had some bleeding and some “white blood” coming from her vagina. My doctor was not worried. What is your opinion? (Inday J., yahoo.com)
I wouldn’t worry, too. You produced a lot of hormones and passed these on to your baby when you were pregnant. After birth, your baby experienced sudden withdrawal from these hormones. Your baby girl then had, believe it or not, menstruation. Yep, just like the ones that you have but with lesser bloody discharges. The “white blood” is not really blood but a clear white vaginal discharge caused by hormone withdrawal. This may freak you out (after all, blood is blood, irregardless whether it is red or “white” blood), but these are normal phenomena and will disappear after a few days. Also, there may be some whitish, cheesy material between your baby’s vaginal lips. This is part of vernix, the whitish substance that covers babies when they are born. Vernix may be present in the vaginal area for up to two weeks after birth.
When can my baby see? (Lisa O., Banilad)
Although baby cats are born blind, baby humans are more exceptional. Not only can your baby already see immediately after birth, but he can pick out your face from among a sea of strangers! He can also focus on something but may sometimes appear cross-eyed because his eyes do not move together when he tries to focus. After he has your face on focus, he can even follow you for short distances if you move. But your face must be placed some 12 inches from his, just about the distance from your arms to your face when you are feeding him while cuddling him in your arms. This promotes bonding. This is also why you have to cuddle your baby when feeding him, even when you are not breastfeeding.
Your newborn can also hear very well. The startle reflex can attest to this. And don’t be surprised when he recognizes your voice and responds best to it, too.
In the 1960s, experts believed that newborns were incapable of seeing, hearing, or feeling pain. Today, we know that newborns can do all of the above and more. They can interact with people around them. That means you! So cuddle your baby, look him straight in the eyes, talk to him, sing to him— and be pleasantly surprised by your truly amazing newborn!
Truly yours,
Tita Doc
(September 13, 2004 issue)
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