The age of a newborn child starts from the moment of birth and ends on the 28th day (4 weeks). This period is characterized by intense morphological and functional changes in the newly born organism. Already at this stage, the baby goes through one of the main crises of human life - the newborn crisis. It is associated with a sharp transition from intrauterine life to extrauterine existence.
Physical development of the child
During the first 5 days of life, a newborn, as a rule, loses weight (the norm is about 5%), and after that it begins to recover and gradually gain as the child masters breastfeeding skills. On average, in the first 4 weeks, children gain about 500-700 grams of weight. This is one of the important indicators of the viability of a newborn human. In addition, his normal physical development is evidenced by an increase in height, head circumference and general health. There are other standards regarding the age at which a newborn should gain a certain weight. So, it is believed that by 4 months the child should double the weight that it had in the newborn state.
Today there is a trend of increasing weight of newborns. In many countries, the birth of children weighing over 4 kg has become typical. In addition, they are born with a height of more than 50 cm. This is one of the phenomena of acceleration.
The internal organs of the newborn are not yet fully formed. However, his digestive system begins to work actively, and the gastrointestinal tract is colonized by microorganisms. The baby's body temperature remains unstable for up to 3 weeks, so it must be maintained with the help of clothing and creating a certain comfort in the room.
The first hours of a child's life as a newborn
The birth of a new life occurs from the moment of conception. For all nine months, the child is in a cozy world - the mother’s womb. He hears how his parents address him, feels their emotional state and responds to them with active or not so active movements. But eventually the time comes when you need to leave a warm and cozy place and be born, change your habitat. After birth, the child experiences some stress. After all, he has already become physically separated from his mother, his breathing process is carried out through his own lungs, and his nutrition is completely different: warm and sweet mother’s milk. All organs and systems of the little man’s body learn to adapt to new living conditions.
But the first hours of life are not only an important stage for the physical development of a child, it is also a period of psychological adaptation of the baby, as well as the time when parents recognize themselves as such and feel an inextricable connection with the newborn. It is in the first one and a half to two hours after birth that physical contact between mother and child is so important. In most maternity hospitals, it has long been the practice of placing a newly born baby on the stomach of the woman in labor, as well as placing him on the breast. Any manifestation of tenderness and warmth on the part of both parents at this time is the key to the further successful development of positive psychological contact.
In the first days and weeks of life, the newborn spends a lot of time sleeping, his state is slightly inhibited, and his movements are not controlled. A baby's sleep can be interrupted by basic needs for food and drink. In addition to them, discomfort can be felt due to cold or, conversely, heat, as well as if the child is wet and his diapers or nappies need to be replaced.
The most pronounced emotion of a newborn is dissatisfaction, which manifests itself through his crying in the cases given above. And in such cases, only the care of parents and loved ones helps the baby to feel comfort and satisfaction again. The child calms down, stops crying, and quickly falls asleep. All these actions of his are an expression of positive emotions that he is not yet able to express in any other way.
In addition, a baby who does not yet speak and does not orient himself in various states can be understood by external signs; these are a kind of signals that the child transmits to adults so that they understand him. These signals include breathing rate, intensity of sucking movements while eating, eye and head movements, and heart rate. Young parents need to learn to listen carefully to these signals in order to understand what their baby wants at the moment.
Reflexes of a child at the age of a newborn
A newborn already has enough signs thanks to which the baby adapts to his new living environment. In the scientific community, such signs are called reflexes. Healthy children have a developed respiratory, digestive, and circulatory system. The first reactions that appear in babies from the very first hours after birth are sucking and grasping (just give the baby your finger, he will immediately clasp it with his small hand). In addition, the newborn can protect itself, in particular its eyes. If a bright light hits him, he may close his eyes. At the same time, if you touch the middle of the baby's lip, he will turn his head in the direction where the light is coming from.
Several more reflexes are motor. Thanks to their study, it is possible to determine whether everything is in order with the tone of the newborn, as well as his motor ability. For example, if a child is placed on his tummy, he can turn his head to one side and crawl on his tummy without arms. If you support his feet with your hand, he will be able to push off from them, making crawling movements. You can also take the child in your arms so that the legs lightly touch a flat surface, and tilt the body a little forward - and then he will perform stepping movements.
All these signs or reflexes help doctors determine the child's level of development in the early stages. Their peculiarity is that they are characteristic only of the smallest and persist throughout the first months of life, and then fade away, giving way to other signs of the baby’s development. It is no longer reflexes that appear, but more complex reactions. Moreover, by the timing of the appearance and disappearance of certain reflexes and reactions, one can judge the intensity of the development of brain activity.
If the child is healthy and develops correctly, then he has the ability to feel some signs. For example, when touching something, he will feel whether the surface is hot or cold. The baby also feels pain and painful touches (that’s why he cries if he is given a vaccination injection). The child clearly distinguishes tastes. He knows where the sour, bitter, and where the sweet delicacy is. Naturally, a newly born baby has a low degree of sensitivity. But as it develops and grows, sensations develop and increase. The same applies to the vision and hearing of newborns - they develop as they grow. For example, already two weeks after birth, a crying baby can stop hysterics by listening to any strong sound. And after about a month, the baby’s eyes may focus on a bright or shiny object that will attract his attention.
The result of intrauterine communication
While still in the mother's womb, the child listens and remembers her voice and communicates with her. Therefore, after birth, he can distinguish the sound of his mother's voice among many other voices. In addition, the baby can distinguish any voice belonging to a person from non-human sounds, and distinguishes the person himself (his face) from surrounding objects.
The newborn is able to demonstrate his desire to communicate. To do this, he looks towards the one who is talking to him. If the baby is tired of communicating, he will simply turn away. Such unique abilities develop if the child and mother have close, close contact - both physical and spiritual.
But all of the above skills of a newborn are only the beginnings of those skills that will develop over time. None of the reflexes or skills is complete or one that the child can use in his further development. None of the reflexes, even motor ones, have anything to do with the fact that the child will crawl or walk. All signs and reflexes that the baby had in the first weeks and months after birth should disappear.
Unlike the animal world, in which all newborns can survive to some extent on their own, the human baby is completely defenseless. He is completely dependent on the environment, on the care and care of his parents. His physical development depends on his environment, everyday life, and daily care, and his psychological development depends on how attentive and caring people close to him will be towards him.
Having lived his first month surrounded by attentive adults, the baby begins to distinguish them from his environment. The adult himself contributes to this through his actions. For example, constant conversations with a child. After all, even if the baby cannot say anything in response, this does not mean that he does not perceive anything. With their movements, conversation, lively intonations, a parent or another person from the baby’s environment attracts his attention and gives a lot of new impressions. If you communicate with your baby from the very moment he is born (or better yet, before that), then by the end of the first month of life he will even be able to show his attention through the position of his lips. For example, if you speak affectionately to a baby, he will look in your direction with elongated lips. And in the second month, the baby will already want to answer you with his smile.
It is no secret that the closest contact a child has, no matter what stage of development he is at, is contact with his mother. It is she who carries her son or daughter for nine months, and it is with her that the newborn’s first physical contact occurs. Therefore, the mother is most actively influenced and influenced by any movement and sound of her child, and the baby himself is most actively influenced by the mother’s voice and mother’s hands. This is the basis for building trust in a baby not only in parents, but also in all people.
A mother’s kind word is the best medicine that has a calming effect on a child. It is enough to hug and tell about your love for the baby, and he will become calmer, sleep and eat better. The child’s mood, his positive or negative emotions, peace or excitement - this is all the result of the parents’ manifestation of love or dislike for him. But at the same time, these characteristics also determine the attitude of adults towards the newborn.
A baby, but no longer a newborn
After the birth stage and after some time, the child moves from the newborn stage, when he was a completely helpless and incapable creature, into the infancy stage. During this period, the child seems to come to life, he becomes more active, his actions and gaze are more conscious, and all the organs and systems of the body develop rapidly.
During this period, the child can already turn to an adult by looking, stopping at the parent’s face, or smiling. The older the child is, the more movements and actions are included in this communication. These are sighs, movements of arms and legs, exclamations of delight, cries of joy. If a child wants communication, but there is no one nearby or no one pays attention to him, he may cry and thereby turn all eyes on himself. All these actions appear at certain stages of the baby’s development. And control of their timely appearance is the key to the correct development of the child, his brain activity and nervous system.
A distinctive feature of a child's revival is his activity. The less attention adults pay to the baby, the more actively he shows his need for communication. It is through movements, glances, and emotions that a deep and strong connection between the baby and his parents is established, which will only grow stronger over the years.
A note about health and repose is a type of general prayer, an effort to help a living or deceased neighbor, a manifestation and development of love.
Sincere, diligent, sincere prayer always helps - however, the composition and time of help is determined not by people, but by God. Only he knows what help is most useful at each stage of a person’s earthly life.
How to write a note in a temple?
At the top of the note, draw an eight-pointed cross, then inscribe it - “On health” or “On repose.” Next, in large, legible handwriting, list in the genitive case the full names (usually 10-15 names) given at Baptism of those people for whom prayers are asked. Names should be written in church form, for example, not Ivan, but John; not Semyon, but Simeon; not Ulyana, but Juliania. Children's names should also be written in full, for example, “Sergius”, not “Seryozha”. The names of the clergy are written first; the rank is indicated before the names, in full or in an understandable abbreviation, for example: “Archbishop. Jerome", "Prot. Nicholas", "Priest Peter".
Notes in the church are not submitted for those who are not members of the Orthodox Church: for the unbaptized, heterodox, non-Orthodox, for suicides (if there is no bishop's blessing for their funeral service and church commemoration), for convinced atheists and fighters against God, even if they have been baptized.
How does commemoration take place according to notes at the proskomedia?
During the proskomedia (translated from Greek as “offering”) - the preparatory part of the Liturgy for those people whose names are written in the notes of health and repose, the priest takes particles from the prosphora and at the end of the Liturgy, after communion of the laity, lowers these particles into the Holy Chalice, in which the Body and Blood of Christ are found, with the prayer: “Wash away, O Lord, the sins of those remembered here by Thy Honest Blood, by the prayers of Thy saints.”
Until what age is a child, an infant, an adolescent? How to properly reflect this in notes?
Up to 7 years of age, a child is an infant, from 7 to 14 years of age is an adolescent. This is indicated in abbreviation before the child’s full name when writing notes. For example: “ml. Sergius" or "neg. Evgeniya."
Is it possible to write “lost”, “embarrassed” in notes?
It is not customary to write like that. To the name of the person being commemorated, written in the genitive case, it is allowed to add the words: “baby”, “youth” (for children). In funeral notes, before the name of the deceased, within 40 days after death, the word “newly deceased” is usually added. Sanity is added to the names of clergy and written at the beginning of notes.
For prayerful commemoration, it is enough for the priest to know the person’s name given at Baptism.
Is it possible to write names in notes that are not in the Orthodox calendar, for example, Egor?
In the notes I write only those names that were given at Baptism. As a rule, Yegor is given the name George in Baptism; Svetlana is usually called Photinia in honor of the holy Venerable Photinia of Palestine or Photina in honor of the martyr Photina the Samaritan; Oksana - Xenia in honor of the holy Venerable Xenia or Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg.
Is it possible to submit health notes for an unborn child?
It is forbidden. The unborn child has not yet received Holy Baptism, and only the names of baptized Orthodox Christians are written in the notes.
Notes on the health of the expectant mother should be submitted, and the mother herself should visit church more often, confess and receive communion - this will be useful both for her and for the child, who from the moment of conception is already a person with an immortal soul.
What is a “custom mass”?
Popular names do not always accurately indicate the essence of phenomena, events, objects. Liturgy is popularly called Liturgy - according to the time it is celebrated and according to the custom of ancient Christians after the Liturgy to gather for a joint meal. A customized mass is a commemoration made from notes during the Liturgy. Such notes are presented to the altar before the start of the service, read by name, with the removal of particles from the prosphora at the proskomedia, the preparatory part of the Liturgy, then these names are prayerfully pronounced at the litany for all to hear by the deacon, repeated at the altar by the priest (if there is no deacon, then only by the priest), and After the Liturgy, health is still remembered at the prayer service and repose at the memorial service.
However, in different churches the practice of commemoration according to notes may be different.
What is sorokoust and how to order it?
Sorokoust is a forty-day commemoration of health or repose during the Liturgy with the removal of a particle from the prosphora for the person for whom prayers are asked. Sorokoust can be ordered in the candle shop of the temple only for baptized Orthodox Christians.
What is an annual, semi-annual commemoration?
In addition to notes on one-day commemorations, churches and monasteries also accept notes on daily commemoration of living and deceased Christians for long periods: for a month, for 40 days (Sorokoust), for six months, for a year, for several years. Long-term commemoration can be “with a particle” (when every day for the entire duration of the proskomedia a particle is taken out of the prosphora) or “without a particle” (in this case, the names are recorded in the memorial synodik and the brethren of the temple or monastery during the specified period at each service pray for these people).
What is eternal remembrance?
This commemoration lasts as long as the monastery exists.
The baby's infancy is the period from the 29th day of his life (the first four weeks the child is considered a newborn) until the end of the first year of life. One can only be amazed at what significant changes occur in such a short period. The baby does not yet know how to control his body and can only tell his mother about his desires by screaming, but by the age of one year his skills and requirements are already practically conscious. What happens during these 12 months?
First year of life
When compared with other age periods, during the first 12 months the baby’s body grows rapidly, all systems and organs develop very quickly, and intensive metabolism occurs. For example, the weight of a baby with which he was born doubles by 4-5 months, and when the child reaches a year, it triples, amounting to approximately 10-11 kg.
During this period, the child’s height increases by a quarter of a meter, amounting to about 75 cm per year. The morphological structure and functions of the child’s nervous system are improved. In just the first 6 months of life, the mass of his small brain increases by 200%.
Due to the accelerated development of the functions of the central nervous system, the early development of conditioned reflexes of all analyzers occurs. Neuropsychic development occurs quite quickly. It is in the first year of life that babies begin to develop the rudiments of speech. When a baby is only 2 months old, all his senses are so developed that the child picks up and distinguishes different signals sent from the outside.
How do movements develop?
Perhaps all mothers know that babies are born with the necessary minimum of unconditioned reflexes: sucking, grasping, and stepping reflex. During the period from 1 to 3 months, babies begin to hold their head. By 4 they can already roll over from their back to their side, and a little later on their tummy. The little ones reach for the rattles and take them in their hands. Now they are very inquisitive.
By 5 months, babies begin to crawl, pulling their legs towards their tummy, they arch their backs in a very funny way. True, this does not work out for everyone.
By the age of six months, babies begin to sit up and kneel in the crib, bravely holding on to the bars. If they are driving down the street in a stroller, they carefully study everything that surrounds them. Kids are interested in everything - cars, flying pigeons, running dogs, cats and much more.
By 7-8 months, babies can safely stand up in their cribs and walk along the railings, holding on with their hands.
There is very little time left until the babies begin to walk. This usually happens when babies reach 10-12 months of age.
The infancy of a child is quite interesting both for him and for his parents. Every day for the baby is marked by a new skill and discovery. The eyes of a loving mother can notice even the most minor changes in the baby’s behavior. But don’t forget that all babies are different: for example, some begin to sit at 5 months, and others only at 7. This is completely natural, so you shouldn’t rush things, but you just need to enjoy every moment.
Oh, those teeth!
It is impossible to imagine a baby’s infancy without the appearance of teeth. This does not go smoothly for everyone. Children may have a fever, tearfulness and excessive salivation, and a decrease in appetite.
At about six months, the baby's first teeth appear - two lower incisors, and after a couple of months - two upper ones.
By 10 months, children have two upper lateral incisors, and by one year, two lower lateral incisors.
By the age of one year, toddlers usually already have eight baby teeth. If a child does not have that many teeth, parents should not worry: everything happens strictly individually. Some babies don't get their first teeth until they are one year old.
How does speech develop?
During infancy, the baby’s speech also develops.
For the first six months, the little ones laugh a lot, walk around, and utter simple sounds: “aha”, “gee”, “a-a-a”.
After six months (up to about 9 months), the baby begins to pronounce sounds such as “ma”, “ama”, “ba”. By 10-12 months, the toddler repeats the sounds of adults. He can already say “ma-ma”, “ba-ba”, “give”. In his first year of life, the child begins to utter his first meaningful words.
It should be clarified that the toddler perceives the speech of his mother, father, and grandparents addressed to him from birth. But during this period, he recognizes intonation more than the speech itself. Kindly spoken words can calm a baby, but a raised or irritated voice can frighten.
At six months, the baby already responds to her name and smiles meaningfully. After a month or two, he already begins to understand when they say to him: “come to me,” in response he stretches out his hands. At the same age, the child understands the word “no”. Hearing a word addressed to him, he breaks away from unnecessary activities.
At one year old, the baby can wave his hand to adults at their farewell gestures and the words “bye-bye.”
In order for the baby to develop speech faster, you need to read him fairy tales, sing songs, and talk to the baby more often.
About feeding
A baby comes into this world unadapted to independent existence, so feeding an infant is an integral part of his life support. Parents are obliged to take care of him to provide all his physiological needs. Different types of feeding, depending on the existing capabilities and needs of the child, involve the use of breast milk, artificial formula and different types of complementary foods. Experts are confident that breastfeeding is optimal for babies.
Infant feeding should combine nutrients, fluids, and vitamins that are necessary for the body of a newborn baby. All these components are present in mother's breast milk.
Necessary basis
Breast milk contains the necessary balance of nutrients, which changes as the baby grows, as well as antibodies that protect the baby from various diseases during the most sensitive period of infancy. Based on this, the process of natural breastfeeding can be regarded not only as a form of nutrition, but also as a basis for the proper formation of the body's immunity.
The natural mechanism that provides the baby with the necessary period for feeding (until the main part of the baby teeth grows) lasts 1-1.5 years. It is during these months that each mother decides on her own whether the child needs it so much. In most cases, this lasts approximately 1.5-2 years.
The baby has been born, which means that the mother has a lot to meet, especially if this is her first child. When communicating with a pediatrician or reading the literature, you may come across terminology – early neonatal, late neonatal periods. In addition, it becomes interesting to what age a child is considered a newborn, what is the age of a newborn and the infant period.
Until what age is a child considered a newborn?
The age of a newborn is divided into periods:
- early neonatal (from the moment of umbilical cord ligation to 7 days):
- late neonatal (before the 28th day of life), in general, this time is the age of the newborn.
Until what age is a child considered a baby? There is an opinion that a baby is a breastfed child, but this is not true, because some are fed formula from birth, and some children continue to eat mother’s milk until they are 2-3 years old.
According to medical parameters, up to 28 days the baby reaches the age of a newborn, then he enters infancy, which lasts up to 1 year.
In general, the period up to a year is considered the most important in human ontogenesis. The age of a newborn, and then the infant period itself, is the time when the child develops physical abilities and mental functions.
Child development
Parents are primarily interested in the development of the baby, so that he grows up healthy, without deviations. Mom is always interested in knowing what the stages are and how to evaluate the norm, find out the patterns.
- 1 month is the time for the baby to adapt to the new world. The baby is completely helpless and needs care, warmth, and strict hygiene.
- 2 months is the time for mental development. Hearing and vision become sharper, and close physical contact with the mother is established.
- 3 month – more active. The child begins to move more and may cry often due to disturbances in the intestines. When a child feels good, he smiles and reacts to his interlocutor. Movements are still uncontrollable; the baby may wake up from random movements of arms or legs.
- At 4 months, movements become even more active, the child begins to roll over and explore his arms and legs. Facial expressions develop, from which you can understand whether the baby is happy or not. The colic problems gradually go away and the baby is generally in a good mood.
- 5 months - attempts to sit, habit of putting objects into mouth. The baby begins to distinguish close people from strangers, recognizes relatives, and reacts to their appearance with a smile.
- At 6 months, active muscle development occurs. The baby sits down, tries to pull himself up by objects, and starts crawling. At six months of age, complementary foods begin to be introduced, and children begin to develop their first teeth.
- At 7–8 months, the child crawls, stands up independently, and his teeth begin to grow (individually, some teeth appear later).
- At 9–10 months, the baby takes its first steps, with the help of its parents, and then on its own. You cannot leave a child unattended; he may climb where he shouldn’t or lean on an unstable object and fall.
- By the age of 1, the child becomes interested in communicating with peers, and his steps become confident. The child is already fulfilling requests, can answer questions, and the first words appear.
The development of infants is subject to general laws, but still has an individual character.
Baby development results
Physical development comes from innate reflexes; the age of a newborn is the most key moment of adaptation. Over the course of a year, a child learns to do a lot: hold his head up, roll over, sit down, crawl, stand up, walk. In the emotional aspect, huge progress is taking place.
There are several significant periods in a child’s life. The first of them begins immediately after birth, or more precisely, at the moment of cutting the umbilical cord, when the baby’s breathing and blood circulation become autonomous. This time interval is called the newborn period or neonatal period. Its essence is to adapt the baby to extrauterine life.
The neonatal period begins after the baby is born and the umbilical cord is cut.Time frame
For most young parents, it remains a mystery on what basis children are divided into newborns, infants and infants. Let's look into this issue. Let's find out how many days make up the duration of the neonatal period. According to medical sources, a baby is considered a newborn from the moment of birth until 28 days, that is, 4 weeks.
In turn, the neonatal period is divided into:
- early – 1-7 days;
- late – 7-28.
Infant, infant, infant are identical concepts. They refer to a baby whose age is more than 28 days, but less than 1 year. The infant period in pediatrics is divided quarterly - 3 months from the date of birth, 6, 9, 12.
General characteristics of the neonatal period
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All organs and systems of a newborn baby are immature, both in terms of morphology (structure) and taking into account functional activity. After birth, they undergo intensive restructuring, the purpose of which is to adapt the body to extrauterine existence, to the conditions of the external environment.
After birth, the child actively adapts to the conditions of the surrounding world.
An important feature of the neonatal period is the instability of the balance in which all systems of the baby’s body are. Minimal changes in external conditions can significantly affect its internal state.
The main changes that occur in the baby’s body when the blood pulsation in the umbilical cord vessels stops:
- starting the pulmonary circulation;
- the beginning of the functioning of pulmonary respiration;
- transition to enteral nutrition, in which food is absorbed through the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract.
Crisis moment
Life begins with stress. The moment the baby passes through the birth canal is called the neonatal crisis. Experts in the field of psychology consider this stage to be difficult and turning point for a new person. Components of the crisis:
- Physiological factors. There is a physical separation of the child from the mother. He ceases to be part of her body and becomes autonomous.
- Psychological aspects. The actual distance from the mother causes the baby to feel helpless and anxious.
- Changes in external conditions. After birth, the child finds himself in a completely new world, where everything is different from the previous living conditions - temperature, air, light, a different way of eating, breathing, and so on.
The life of a little man begins with stress caused by a difficult passage through the birth canal
A person is born absolutely helpless. To protect him and ensure his survival, nature has laid in him a certain set of unconditioned reflexes - sucking, swallowing, grasping and others.
Early neonatal period
In the early neonatal period, which lasts one week from the moment of birth, not only the baby’s introduction to the world occurs, but also the first contacts with the mother. The baby's actual appearance may differ from the image she imagined. This is due to the physiological borderline states of his body.
Skin tone
A child’s uneven and uncharacteristic skin tone may be due to:
- erythema;
- vascular response to external conditions;
- jaundice.
Erythema is redness of the skin with a bluish tint. It usually appears on the feet and hands. The cause of erythema is a sharp change in ambient temperature: from 37° in the womb to 20-24° in a hospital room. In addition, the water environment familiar to the child is replaced by an air environment. Erythema is not a pathological condition and does not require treatment. The baby's body temperature, general health and appetite are within normal limits. After a few days, peeling of the epidermis may begin in places of redness.
The cause of erythema is a sharp change in ambient temperature
The physiological reaction of blood vessels more often occurs in premature infants during the neonatal period. It is a consequence of the immaturity of the vascular system. Its manifestations:
- marbling of the integument, bluish spots;
- uneven body color, on one part the skin is red, and on the other it is pale with blue, this happens after sleeping on one side.
This condition can occur within 2-3 days after birth. The child does not need treatment, but doctors are monitoring him.
During the newborn period, jaundice occurs due to functional liver failure due to its immaturity. The organ cannot neutralize the increased amount of bile pigment entering the blood. Normally, physiological jaundice, in which the baby’s skin acquires a characteristic shade, lasts about a week. For babies born prematurely, it can last up to 6 weeks. Yellowness of the skin that persists longer than expected is a reason to consult a doctor.
Milia and acne
The work of the sebaceous and hormonal glands in a newborn is not established. After birth, you can notice miles and acne on his face.
- Milia are white spots that usually appear on the nose, forehead and cheeks. They occur due to blockage of the sebaceous glands. It is strictly forbidden to touch them. Milia goes away on its own within a few weeks.
Milia does not require treatment and goes away on its own in the child
- Newborn acne is red pimples with a purulent white tip, similar to juvenile acne (more details in the article:). They usually appear on the face, but can appear on the back and neck. The cause of acne in babies is an excess of maternal hormones in the blood and imperfect functioning of the sebaceous glands. They go away within 2-3 months. Pimples do not need to be treated. Careful hygiene must be observed. In addition, you can apply Bepanten cream in a thin layer once every 3 days.
During the neonatal period, not only the described physiological phenomena related to the normal development of the child are discovered. Structural anomalies, hereditary pathologies, fetopathies, and so on can be identified. The mother is required to pay increased attention to the child, which will help to notice deviations in physical and mental development in time.
Late neonatal period
The late neonatal period lasts 3 weeks. Pediatricians call it the recovery time after maladaptive syndromes. Main characteristics:
- the baby is actually separated from the mother, but is strongly connected to her physiologically and emotionally;
- the child’s organs and systems are in the process of development, they have not fully matured, especially the central nervous system;
- water-salt metabolism is very dynamic;
- the newborn’s body undergoes changes in biochemical, functional and morphological aspects;
- the child’s condition is significantly dependent on external factors;
- When living conditions are violated, physiological processes quickly transform into pathological ones.
The condition of a child during the late neonatal period greatly depends on the quality of care
At this age, the baby needs care. It is important to satisfy his needs for food, drink, sleep, affection. This is what ensures the child's survival. The newborn spends most of the day sleeping, but over time the number of hours of wakefulness increases. The visual and auditory systems develop, and instead of unconditioned automatisms, conditioned reflexes arise. The baby overcomes the crisis and gradually adapts to new conditions.
Features of the functioning of various organs and systems of the child
The mental and physical development of children has certain age-related patterns. Until what age the maturation of a particular system lasts depends on the individual characteristics of the child and the external conditions of his life. However, doctors identify general norms that are typical for most healthy babies.
Vision
The muscles responsible for the movements of the eyeballs, as well as the optic nerves in newborns, are not 100% formed. As a result, physiological strabismus occurs. This phenomenon, caused by insufficient development of the oculomotor muscles, is considered normal and goes away over time. At the early newborn stage, the baby distinguishes light from darkness, that is, distinguishes between day and night.
Physiological strabismus is considered normal and goes away without treatment
Hearing
During the first 3-4 days of life, the child’s ear cavities are not filled with air, so his hearing is somewhat reduced. Then the hearing system gradually develops and the baby hears almost like an adult. He flinches at very loud noises. At the same time, you can notice how the frequency and depth of his breathing, as well as facial expressions, change.
Touch, taste, smell
Due to the uneven distribution of nerve endings, the newborn reacts differently to touch on different parts of the body. The skin of the face and limbs is more sensitive than the skin of the back. In general, the sense of touch is well developed.
An age-related feature of the baby is the love for the sweet taste that mother’s milk has. Having tasted something sweet, he licks his lips, makes swallowing movements, and calms down. If the liquid is bitter or salty, the child stops sucking, cries, and grimaces.
The baby's sense of smell is developed. Strong aromas cause a reaction in him, expressed in a change in breathing rate.
The baby's favorite sweet taste is supplied by his mother's milk.
Leather
The skin of a child is supplied with blood much more intensively than that of adults, due to the large number and increased diameter of capillaries. Any damage, the cause of which has been eliminated, heals quickly. However, the development of sweat glands is insufficient. As a result, a child under one month old easily overheats due to high air temperatures or too warm clothes.
urinary system
The baby's kidney development ends after birth. The bladder contains a small amount of urine, the properties of which differ from the standards characteristic of an adult. For newborns, their own age standards are used regarding protein content, specific gravity, and biochemical reactions. In the first week, urination occurs 4-5 times a day, then 15-25 times.
Respiratory system
Children at the newborn stage, as well as in infancy, have narrow upper respiratory tracts, which include the nasal passages, larynx, and trachea. The mucous membranes lining them are actively supplied with blood. They are very sensitive to mechanical irritants and dry air. The normal breathing rate is 40-60 movements per minute.
Children's breathing is quite shallow even during sleep
The cardiovascular system
After birth, the functioning of the child’s cardiovascular system changes dramatically. The vessels and openings through which placental blood flow was carried out are closed. The lungs fill with blood. Normal heart rate is 110-140 beats per minute. Any external influence leads to its change.
Digestive system
The maturation of the digestive organs continues after birth. The child is born with developed chewing muscles and a large tongue. Thanks to this, he can actively suck without getting tired for a long time. The salivary glands are underdeveloped and therefore produce little secretion.
During the first day, the baby’s gastrointestinal tract is sterile, but is quickly populated by flora. The volume of the stomach grows daily: after birth its capacity is 20 ml, after a week - 50 ml, after 4 weeks - 100 ml. The optimal food is breast milk. The baby's body produces enzymes specifically for its digestion.
The appearance of stool changes gradually. At first it is brown, then yellow-green, then yellow, mushy with a sour odor. Transformations are associated with the process of colonization of mucous membranes by bacteria.
Breast milk is considered the optimal food for a child of this age group.
Nervous system
During the first months of life, the child’s nervous system develops most actively. At first, he spends most of the day (20-22 hours) in sleep, since in the cerebral cortex the processes of inhibition prevail over excitation. Over time, periods of wakefulness increase.
The baby's excitability, reflexes and reactions are constantly transforming. The tone of the muscles of the arms and legs is very pronounced. During this period, for example, physiological tremor may be observed - trembling of the muscles of the limbs. In addition, there are a number of unconditioned reflexes associated with brain immaturity, which all children initially have, but fade away in the first year of life.
