Top 5 Questions Asked by New Moms in the Newborn Period
Why is my newborn’s skin so dry and flaky and what can I do to improve it?
- All newborns develop in a fluid called amniotic fluid. Because this fluid surrounds them at all times, their old skin cannot flake off like an adult’s does. So they basically have 9 months of old skin to peel off (like a sunburn)
- There is no treatment except time. It usually takes a month or two for the dry skin to resolve. Lotions and moisturizers only cover up the dry skin.
What are these blue spots on my baby's skin?
- Many babies have blue colored birthmarks called Mongolian spots.
- These birthmarks are basically collections of pigment cells that come together during development, while the baby is still an embryo.
- These marks are benign. They usually disappear in nine to ten years
Is it normal that my baby is hiccupping all the time?
- Hiccupping is a normal finding in new babies
- Hiccups are caused when the diaphragm (the main muscle of breathing) has repetitive spasms or contractions
- Scientists theorized that hiccups are a type of reflex that exercises the diaphragm muscle prior to birth and that persist for several months after birth
Should I be worried that my newborn's hand and feet are blue?
- All babies are born blue
- After they take their first few breaths, they become pink in the center of their body (face and body) but the hands and feet remain blue
- This phenomenon is called acrocyanosis
- It is a benign condition that will resolve after a few months
Is there anything I can do to get rid of the red rashes that are on my new baby's skin?
- Most new babies have red rashes on their bodies called “erythema toxicum” or “newborn rash”
- This rash is a small flat red splotchy lesions with a small bump in the center; It looks very much like a flea bite
- It usually appears in the first week of life and occurs in about half of term infants
- It resolves spontaneously
- The exact cause is uncertain
