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During pregnancy, a woman often imagines how she will see her baby. However, in reality, the appearance of a newborn child may differ significantly from what is imagined. What might seem unusual to a mother when she first looks at the baby, what might alarm or alert her?

1. Appearance of a newborn - First impression.

Parents' ideas about newborns are often far from the truth. In photographs in magazines and on television, we are shown cheerful, rosy-cheeked, robust men. Few people realize that babies become like this only at 3 months of age. Therefore, at the moment of the first meeting with the child, many mothers get scared and think that something is wrong with their baby. Most often these doubts are unfounded. Let's talk about what the baby will look like on your first date.

A newly born baby's skin usually has a bluish color. This is due to the lack of oxygen that the child experienced while passing through birth canal mother. The bluish discoloration of the skin will disappear within a few minutes, when the baby begins to breathe on his own and his blood is saturated with oxygen. The baby's skin usually turns bright red. This is due to the condition of the subcutaneous vessels, which first narrow after childbirth due to a sharp change in temperature, and then reflexively expand. Such hyperemia (redness) skin persists for the first 2-3 days of life.

If the baby is premature (born before 37 weeks of pregnancy), the skin may be dark red. This is due to the fact that the subcutaneous vessels in such children are located very close to the surface of the skin due to the fact that the subcutaneous fat layer is very thin. This is why the skin of premature babies easily folds and forms wrinkles.

The baby's palms and feet may remain bluish for some time. This is due to the imperfection of the circulatory system: distal (more distant from the center) parts of the body are somewhat worse supplied with blood in the absence active movements. As soon as the child becomes more active, he moves his arms and legs more, the skin of his palms and feet will turn pink.

Another feature of the skin of a newborn baby is a cheesy lubricant consisting of fallen skin epithelial cells and fats. It is rich in cholesterol and glycogen. Before birth, it protected the skin from getting wet, since the baby was in a liquid environment ( amniotic fluid). During childbirth, this lubricant helps the baby pass through the mother's birth canal. It also has bactericidal properties, preventing the penetration of infection. More lubrication occurs on the back surface of the body, on the face, ears, and in the folds of the skin (axillary, cervical, groin, etc.). During the first toilet of the newborn, which is carried out by the midwife already in the delivery room, the vernix lubrication is removed because it becomes useless.

In dark-skinned children, a spot resembling a bruise may be noticeable in the lumbosacral or buttock area. This is the so-called Mongoloid spot. Special cells - melanocytes - are responsible for skin pigmentation. They produce the pigment melanin, which gives the skin its corresponding color. During embryonic development melanocytes migrate from the deep layers of the skin to the superficial ones. However, some melanocytes remain in the deeper layers of the skin. The skin in these places takes on a blue-black color. This process is genetically determined and is typical for representatives of nationalities with dark or yellow skin color. It is normal feature skin of such children and disappears most often by 5-7 months of age, but sometimes persists up to 3-4 years.

2. Appearance of a newborn - Baby's head.

A newborn baby's head looks large compared to its body. The head circumference of a newborn is on average 33-35 cm, while the chest circumference is on average 30-33 cm. This normal phenomenon. These two values ​​level out only by 3 months of the baby’s life, and then the chest circumference gradually becomes larger than the head circumference.

The slightly elongated shape of a newborn's head can frighten the mother. The fact is that the bones of the skull of a child in the womb are very mobile, this is due to the fact that the sutures connecting them are soft. Therefore, during the birth process, they shift relative to each other, adapting to the shape of the birth canal, and this makes it easier for the baby’s head to pass through. When squeezed, the head takes on an ovoid shape, which is what the mother sees immediately after the birth of the baby. This takes place already in the first days of a child’s life: the moving bones of the skull take their usual position, and the head acquires a rounded shape.

In addition, on the head of a newborn there is sometimes a small swelling filled with blood - a cephalohematoma (hemorrhage between the periosteum and the skull bone). More often it is localized in the parietal or occipital region. Cephalohematoma is formed due to compression of the baby’s head during passage through the birth canal: the integrity of the wall is compromised small vessels the baby's head, which causes an accumulation of the blood that flows out of them between the periosteum and the bone of the skull. This can be facilitated by the use of the birth process obstetric forceps(a medical instrument placed on the fetal head to remove it according to strict indications).

Usually small cephalohematomas disappear within 6-8 weeks and do not require treatment. If the cephalohematoma is of significant size, then its independent resorption may take months, but big size hematomas are not an indication for medical intervention. In rare severe cases, complications may occur, such as suppuration of a hematoma, requiring mandatory medical intervention.

Often there are so-called birth tumors - edema localized on that part of the fetal head that first passed through the birth canal. The birth tumor is most often located in the occipital region or parietal part of the head. The size of the edema depends on the duration and complexity of labor. The slower the child moved through the birth canal, the more pronounced birth tumor. It usually resolves on its own within 3-4 days.

3. Appearance of the newborn - Physiological hypertonicity.

A child is born with clenched fists, bent arms and legs tightly pressed to the body. This was his position in the womb and this will remain so for some time after birth. This is physiological muscle hypertonicity. Gradually, the palms will open, the arms and legs will become more mobile. Hypertonicity of the arms normally goes away in the fourth month of the baby’s life, and hypertonicity of the legs - in the fifth.

4. Appearance of a newborn - Hair.

At birth, the hair on the baby's head may be long, but it may not be there at all. Hair color may vary. Most often, during the first year of life, the first hairs fall out and new ones begin to grow in their place. Hair color can also change over time.

Upon closer inspection...

5. Appearance of the newborn - Eye color.

New parents are often concerned about what color eyes their child will have: like mom, dad, or maybe grandma? Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine this before six months. Most babies are born with blue eyes. By about 1 month, eye color begins to gradually change. And only by 6 months is it established permanent color eye. In a newborn baby, the iris (color) of the eye contains a lot of pigment, which determines the blue color. And as the child grows, the amount of pigment may increase (then the eyes darken) or not increase - and the eyes remain light. It depends on heredity.

The whites of the eyes may be red immediately after childbirth, which is due to hemorrhage from blood vessels in the baby’s eyes that burst during childbirth. This goes away on its own in the first days of life.

Another feature of some babies is squint. The eyes may periodically move apart different sides or, conversely, move towards the bridge of the nose. This is a completely normal phenomenon due to weakness eye muscles. The child cannot fix his gaze on an object for a long time; the eye muscles get tired and stop functioning normally. For most children, this goes away by three months, but for some it lasts up to six months - this is a variant of the norm.

6. Appearance of a newborn - Fontana.

While stroking the baby's head, the mother can feel two soft indentations. These are the large and small fontanelles. Fontanas form at the junction of the bones of the skull. The large fontanelle has a diamond shape, located on the top of the head at the junction frontal bone with two parietal bones and happens different sizes(usually about 2x2 cm). By placing your hand on it, you can feel its pulsation. The large fontanelle closes at about 12 months. The small fontanelle has a triangular shape, is located in the occipital region and is formed at the junction of the parietal bones with occipital bone. His larger size is about 0.5 cm. But most often, by the time of birth, the small fontanel is already closed. If it is still present, then after 2-3 months it will completely close.

7. Appearance of a newborn - The face of a newborn.

In the first hours of life, the child's face may be swollen. Moreover, sometimes due to swelling the baby cannot even open his eyes. This occurs due to a disruption of the outflow venous blood from the face when compressed during passage through the birth canal. There is no need to worry about this. Such swelling disappears in the first days of life.

Some babies may also have red streaks or spots on their faces. irregular shape- vascular spots of newborns. These are nothing more than beams of light shining through thin skin. blood vessels. Most often they are located in the area upper eyelids, between the eyebrows, on the back of the neck and in the ear area. Some children are born with these spots, and in some they appear on the 2nd or 3rd day of life. They usually disappear by the age of 3 years without outside intervention.

8. Appearance of a newborn - Vellus hair on the body.

In many newborns, the original down - lanugo - can be seen on the skin of the body. This fluff covered the entire body of the fetus from about the 7th month of pregnancy. Most of this fuzz falls off before birth, but some of it can be seen after birth. Characteristic localizations lanugo are the areas under the shoulder blades, shoulders. And in premature babies, the cheeks may also be covered with fluff. Usually, vellus hair disappear by 2 weeks of age.

9. Appearance of the newborn - The genitals of the newborn.

This can raise a lot of questions for mothers. appearance genital organs in a child. At birth, both boys and girls' genitals are most often swollen and appear very large. This is due to the presence of placental estrogens in the blood. This is a temporary phenomenon. The swelling usually subsides within one to two weeks of the baby's life.

10. Appearance of a newborn - The first days of life.

Jaundice of newborns. Physiological jaundice newborns occurs in many babies, their skin and mucous membranes acquire yellowish color. Jaundice most often appears on the 3rd-4th day after birth. It is associated with the breakdown of red blood cells (erythrocytes) containing fetal hemoglobin (a protein found in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the body's cells) specific to the fetus. One of the breakdown products of red blood cells is bilirubin. The enzyme systems of the liver are still imperfect and do not have time to quickly remove bilirubin, as a result of which it accumulates in the blood, causing a yellow coloration of the skin and mucous membranes.

Jaundice disappears within one to two weeks as the bilirubin excretion systems mature and due to the completion of the breakdown of red blood cells containing fetal hemoglobin.

With severe jaundice, the baby may be prescribed intravenous glucose infusions, UV irradiation, choleretic drugs, helping to remove excess bilirubin from the body. Thus, doctors help the child’s body cope with this condition. Ignoring severe jaundice can cause irreparable harm to the child’s body due to severe toxic effect higher level bilirubin on the baby's body. General intoxication of the body occurs, especially nervous system, in particular the brain (bilirubin is deposited in gray matter brain, especially in the nuclei of the brainstem - " kernicterus"), as well as the liver and spleen of the newborn.

“Pimples” (milia). On the 2-3rd day of life, the child may develop pinpoint rash in the form of yellowish bubbles filled clear liquid. These are the so-called miles or “millet specks.” Their appearance is associated with blockage sebaceous glands skin. Usually milia go away in the first months of life and do not require special treatment.

Peeling of the skin. On the 3-5th day, peeling of the skin may begin, which is more common in post-term babies (born after 42 weeks of pregnancy). Peeling of the skin is the peeling off of the top layer of skin. In this way, the skin adapts to new conditions. environment. Since this condition is a pathology and passes without any medical interventions, then you should not lubricate the newborn’s skin with moisturizer: this will only interfere natural process. Peeling goes away on its own within 5-7 days.

11. Appearance of a newborn - Mammary glands.

It happens that on the 3-4th day, both boys and girls experience swelling of the mammary glands. They may increase in volume over the course of a week. Moreover, they swell symmetrically, you do not see any redness around, but a white liquid similar to milk may begin to discharge from the nipples. The composition of this liquid is similar to mother's colostrum. Such changes occur due to the circulation in the blood of the newborn of maternal sex hormones - estrogens (they are transmitted to the child through the placenta). Soon these hormones will be eliminated from the body, and within a month the mammary glands will return to normal.

12. Appearance of a newborn - Umbilical wound.

The navel of a newborn also does not immediately take on its familiar appearance. After the umbilical cord is tied during childbirth and then cut off, an umbilical cord remains, which doctors remove in the maternity hospital for 2-3 days. In its place an umbilical wound remains, which heals by about the 20th day of the baby’s life. Until that time, it requires careful care and respect. In the maternity hospital, the children's nurse will show you how to properly treat the umbilical wound. Hydrogen peroxide is used for this. antiseptic solution(“potassium permanganate”, “zelenka”, chlorophyllipt solution). During processing, you need to carefully remove dried crusts. You need to treat the wound twice a day - in the morning and after bathing the baby until it is completely healed. Until healing umbilical wound It is recommended to bathe the child in a baby bath, adding a solution of potassium permanganate to the water until it turns slightly pink.

You need to constantly monitor the condition of the wound. If you notice redness at its edges, bad smell or various secretions(usually white or yellow color), you should immediately consult a doctor, as all of these could be signs of infection.