A newborn is considered to be one month old. This month is a kind of transition period from the intrauterine existence of the fetus to life in the human world. The kid has not yet got rid of many innate reflexes, sees poorly, almost does not blink and is not at all adapted to new conditions. He exists only in close connection with the mother and is completely dependent on her. During this period, the child is characterized by many interesting features that he will lose as he grows up.
Cry
Newborns cry without tears. This is due to narrowing or less commonly blockage of the lacrimal glands. Instead of the usual crying, the crumb screams loudly, expressing by this anxiety, pain, hunger or discomfort. Scientists have shown that while crying, the baby copies the intonation and accent of the mother, which he overheard in the womb. This is evidenced by the results of a scientific study, which involved 60 children with their parents: 30 speakers in French and the same number in German. It was found that French babies cry with an increasing intonation, which is characteristic of the French language, and German children - with a descending intonation, which is characteristic of German.
Skeleton
There are more than 300 bones in the skeleton of an infant, while the skeleton of an adult consists of only 206. However, this is quite simple to explain - some of the bones of a newborn grow together in the course of strengthening and growth.
Respiratory system
A baby, unlike adults, can breathe and swallow at the same time. This makes him look like animals. The baby uses this amazing ability up to about 9 months, while the formation and complication of the articulatory apparatus and the lowering of the larynx down.
Another amazing property of infant breathing is that children breathe several times more often than adults. For comparison: the respiratory rate of an adult is about 20 times per minute, a baby at the age of one year is 33 to 36 times, a baby is from 30 to 45 times a minute.
In addition, newborns cannot breathe through their mouths. They will only learn a much-needed skill at the first nasal congestion: during a cold or allergy.
Eye shape and color
The size of children's eyes remains the same for life. That is why the baby's eyes seem so huge and deep to us. But the nose and ears tend to grow all life. In addition, it is surprising that every child, with rare exceptions, is born with a gray or blue iris. This is due to a temporary lack of a pigment called melanin. Already in the process of growing up, the color of the eyes acquires a constant shade, this happens by about six months. (Why does newborn eye color change)
Swimming ability
The fetus spends all the time of its development before birth in the aquatic environment, therefore, more than 90% of babies retain the swimming reflex. It is thanks to him that the baby is able to swim and dive, making floundering body movements. The baby's body contributes to the conservation of oxygen for the lungs and heart, slowing down blood flow to the fingers of the limbs and reducing the heart rate by as much as 20%. If the reflex is not fixed, it will be lost by 3 to 4 months. (We teach babies to swim and dive: how and when to start classes with newborns at home in the bath. Many video instructions)
Heartbeat
The heart of the baby beats incredibly fast - with a frequency of up to 130 - 160 vibrations per minute. During crying, the frequency can reach 200 beats. For comparison, the heart rate of an adult is 60 - 80 per minute.
Visual features
The vision of a newborn is still not well understood. Only recently, scientists have refuted the theory that the baby sees the world around him flat. In fact, a three-dimensional image is available to him from birth.
Otherwise, science is adamant - the baby does not see very well, only 25 - 28 cm, which will be approximately equal to the gap from the mother's nipple to her eyes. The first couple of weeks after giving birth, the baby perceives the surrounding reality in black and white, and only by the third week after birth begins to gradually distinguish colors. Any baby prefers bright colors and large drawings, it is easier to focus on them.
Another interesting fact is that babies blink much less often than adults: only 1 - 2 times a minute. While medicine is not able to find the reasons for this physiological feature.
Taste
Food addictions of the baby are formed even at 7-9 months of pregnancy of the mother and are finally fixed by the first year of the baby's life. It has been proven that the baby is more pleasantly familiar with smells and tastes that have entered his body earlier - with breast milk or as part of amniotic fluid. This physiological feature explains why breastfed newborns become more comfortable with complementary foods than formula-fed babies.
Meteorological dependence
Fair-haired babies are more sensitive to changing weather conditions than their brunet peers. Twins and twins, premature babies are especially sensitive. This susceptibility increases even more after illness, stress and vaccinations.
This is how the little man comes into our world. Don't be surprised or worried if it doesn't meet your expectations. Within a few weeks you will learn to understand your baby and communicate with him in the language of looks and gestures. The newborn adapts to the world around him: he will learn to cry, smile charmingly and happily walk at the sight of you.
