The newborn’s appearance
Your baby has arrived and you finally get to see what they look like! Some features, such as the shape of a newborn baby’s head or the spots on their skin, can be surprising for new parents.
Fetal position
During the first few weeks of life, your baby will often take up a position similar to the one they had in the womb. This position is known as the fetal position.
Size and weight
Babies born between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy are said to be full-term. They usually measure 45 to 55 centimetres (18 to 21 inches) and weigh 2,500 to 4,300 grams (5.5 to 9.5 lb.).
Babies can lose up to 10% of their weight in the first days of life. This is normal. They eliminate their meconium , which are dark and sticky stools. They also lose water and drink only a little milk at a time. If born at term and in good health, they will regain their birth weight around 10 to 14 days after birth.
Skin
At birth, babies can be covered in vernix caseosa, a white paste that protected their skin when they were in the amniotic fluid. This whitish coating will be absorbed in a few hours or days.
Skin colour varies from one newborn to another. Their hands and feet are sometimes paler and may remain bluish for up to 48 hours. Newborns may also have mottled skin. This is due to cold—your baby is still learning to regulate their temperature. In most cases, the mottling disappears once your baby is in a warm place.
The skin is usually smooth, soft and transparent in places. It may wrinkle and peel, especially on the hands and feet. It is sensitive to heat and cold.
Some babies may also be covered with a fine layer of downy hair that disappears after a few weeks.
Eyes
The eyes of white-skinned newborns are blue-grey. Darker-skinned babies often have darker eyes at birth. The eyes usually take on their permanent colour at about 3 months of age, but can still change colour for up to 1 year. Newborns usually cry without tears, which appear at 1 or 2 months. If you have questions about eye or vision problems, Eye problems.
Head
Your baby’s head is large in relation to their body. Their neck muscles aren’t strong enough to support the head by themselves (see Holding your newborn).
Your baby should be able to easily turn their head left and right. If moving the head is difficult and seems to hurt, your baby may have a stiff neck. If the stiffness persists, see your child’s doctor.
During delivery, pressure on the baby’s body can deform the head. It will regain its round shape in a few weeks. The bones of the skull are not yet joined together. They will fuse between the age of 9 and 18 months.
There are soft spaces on your child’s head. These are known as fontanels. The anterior fontanel, a diamond‑shaped area on top of the head, is soft to the touch and forms a small hollow when your child is seated. You can sometimes see it pulsing with your baby’s heartbeat. Another smaller, triangle-shaped fontanel is located on the back of the head. These soft areas on the head are delicate, but it’s perfectly safe to gently wash and touch them. The fontanels will close as your child gets older.
Following delivery, a bump or swelling containing fluid, blood or both may be visible beneath the scalp. It won’t cause any harm to the brain and will disappear without a trace, usually in a few days.
Breasts
Both boy and girl babies may have swollen breasts, which may even produce a little milk. Don’t try to release any milk. Your baby will stop producing it in a few days.
Genitals
In girls, the labia minora are swollen for 2 or 3 days after birth. There may be a white substance on the vulva and between the labia. Don’t clean it off—it is excellent protection against bacteria.
During the first week, a few drops of blood may drip from the baby’s vagina. Don’t worry, this mini-menstruation is caused by extra hormones passed on by the mother before birth.
In full-term boys, the testicles have usually descended into the scrotum. If they haven’t, tell the doctor. The scrotum is purplish red.
The foreskin is the skin covering the head of the penis. Don’t try to pull it back. This is painful and you might injure your child. Leave it to nature—in 90% of boys, the foreskin will dilate and descend naturally at about 3 years old. In some cases, this won’t happen until adolescence.
Circumcision is an operation in which all or part of the foreskin is removed. It is no longer recommended because it serves no medical purpose. Some parents request circumcision for religious or cultural reasons.
Spots
The newborn may have small pink spots between the eyes, on the eyelids or on the back of the neck. They turn white when touched and become more visible when your baby cries. They will disappear during the first year. Babies sometimes have bluish spots on the buttocks and back, which should be gone by the age of 3. Other marks are permanent.