MEDICAL AID PATIENTS
Please phone for an appointment.
Home / Articles
### **Flexibility in Newborns:**- **Natural Flexibility:** - Newborn babies are highly flexible, primarily because their bones and joints haven't fully matured yet. - This flexibility helps facilitate passage through the birth canal and allows for the rapid growth they experience after birth. - **Bone Development:** - At birth, babies have approximately 300 bones, many composed of cartilage, which gradually hardens and fuses into the 206 bones ...
Newborn babies have several unique physical adaptations that help them transition from life in the womb to life outside: ### 1. **Fontanelles ("Soft Spots"):**- **Description:** Soft, flexible spaces between skull bones.- **Purpose:** Allow baby's head to pass safely through the birth canal and accommodate rapid brain growth after birth.- **Closure:** Gradually fuse and close over 12-18 months. ### 2. **Lanugo Hair:**- **Description:** Soft, fine hair cov...
Newborns are born with several natural reflexes—automatic, involuntary responses to stimuli—that help them survive, adapt, and develop. ### **Common Newborn Reflexes:** - **Rooting Reflex:** - **Trigger:** Touching or stroking baby's cheek. - **Response:** Baby turns head towards the touch, opens mouth, and searches for nipple or food source. - **Sucking Reflex:** - **Trigger:** When an object (finger, nipple, or pacifier) t...
- **Vision Development:** - **Blurry at Birth:** Newborns initially have blurry vision; they can best see objects that are about 8–12 inches away, which is perfect for viewing their caregiver’s face. - **High Contrast Preference:** They are drawn to high-contrast patterns (like black and white), as these are easier for their developing eyes to distinguish. - **Gradual Improvement:** Over the first few months, their vision im...
- **Total Sleep Time:** - Newborns typically sleep about 16–18 hours within a 24-hour period. - **Sleep Cycles:** - Their sleep is divided into short cycles, often lasting around 50–60 minutes each. - These cycles include both active (REM) sleep—which supports brain development—and quiet (non-REM) sleep. - **Frequent Waking:** - Newborns wake frequently, often every 2–4 hours, prim...
- **Lanugo Hair:** - The fine, soft hair covering the fetus is called lanugo. - **Protection:** - Lanugo helps hold vernix caseosa (the protective, creamy substance on the skin) in place, which shields the delicate fetal skin from amniotic fluid. - **Temperature Regulation:** - It provides a layer of insulation, aiding in temperature regulation while the baby develops in the womb. - **Developmental Role:** ...
- **No Fixed Limit:** - There isn’t a strict, universal limit on the number of C-sections a woman can have. The decision is individualized based on health factors and surgical history. - **Increasing Risks with Each Procedure:** - **Adhesions:** Scar tissue can form after each surgery, which may complicate future procedures. - **Placental Complications:** Risks of placenta previa and placenta accreta (abnormal placental att...
- **Placental Aging:** - After 42 weeks, the placenta may begin to function less efficiently, reducing the oxygen and nutrients delivered to the baby. - **Fetal Distress and Meconium Aspiration:** - A stressed baby is more likely to pass meconium into the amniotic fluid, which can be inhaled during birth, potentially leading to breathing problems. - **Increased Risk of Stillbirth:** - Post-term pregnancies carry a higher r...
- **Definition:** - Induction is the process of stimulating labor artificially to initiate childbirth before it begins naturally. - **Reasons for Induction:** - **Medical Necessity:** To protect the health of the mother or baby, such as in cases of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, or fetal distress. - **Post-Term Pregnancy:** When the pregnancy extends beyond the due date, increasing risks for both mother and baby. - **...
- **External Cephalic Version (ECV):** - A manual procedure typically performed around 37 weeks, where a trained provider uses gentle pressure on your abdomen to encourage the baby to turn into a head-down (cephalic) position. - **Maternal Positioning Techniques:** - Some exercises or positions, such as pelvic tilts, knee-to-chest stretches, or specific yoga poses, may encourage the baby to move naturally. - **Alternative Therapies:** ...
