The first days and weeks of a child's life are difficult for both parents and the baby. During the newborn period, which lasts 4 weeks after childbirth (28 days), mothers and fathers learn to care for and take care of the baby, and the baby adapts to new living conditions. How successfully these processes go through depends on many factors. And one of them is understanding exactly how newborns develop in order to respond to any problems in time and turn to a pediatrician to eliminate them.
The main stages of development
Even during his stay in the hospital, the child begins the stage of adaptation to the changed conditions of life. At this stage, all the organ systems of the crumbs adapt to new conditions:
- The lungs begin to work, and blood circulation is reconstructed to function with the inclusion of a small circle.
- Crumbs head in the first days of life, quite often elongated, which is associated with the malleability of the bones of the skull and the passage of the baby through the birth canal. Its shape becomes correct by 2 weeks of age. In addition, many babies develop a birth swelling on their heads, which disappears without a trace after 1-2 days.
- Skin immediately after childbirth is reddish... In many children, from the third day, it acquires a yellow tint - this is how physiological (non-dangerous) jaundice manifests itself, which normally disappears by 2 weeks of age.
- The nervous system is extremely sensitive and works actively. Various unconditioned reflexes are manifested, among which the main ones are search and sucking.
- Thermoregulation is still imperfect, therefore, the crumbs often have sharp drops in body temperature. The infant overheats easily and freezes quickly.
- A newborn has excellent hearing, smell, taste and touch. At the same time, the child's vision is weak, he sees everything indistinct and blurry.
- Many babies have slight squint after childbirth, caused by weakness of the eye muscles.... This condition goes away on its own over time.
- Urination on the first day occurs 4-6 times, and then the number of urinations per day reaches 15-20 times. In many children, on the first day, urine becomes reddish, which is the norm and is associated with a low water content in colostrum.
- Various microorganisms enter the intestines of the crumbs, which were previously completely sterile. Meconium begins to be secreted from the intestines (this is the name for the dark feces that accumulated in the baby's digestive tract at the time of childbirth), and then the feces brighten and become more liquid.
The release of the program of the famous pediatrician E. Komarovsky, dedicated to newborn babies, see below:
At the next stage of development, which begins after discharge, parents have to deal with various difficulties, for example, colic, which often bothers the baby from 2-3 weeks of age.
Also, a new mother can expect difficulties in establishing lactation, which are best dealt with by frequent attachments.
By the end of the neonatal stage, babies change noticeably - their facial features become clearer, postpartum puffiness disappears, and the gaze is focused on faces and objects.
The muscles of the crumbs are strengthened, which allows him to briefly raise his head and move his limbs. In addition, the baby pleases loved ones with a "revitalization complex" - recognition of their faces, active movements and the manifestation of positive emotions.
Development calendar by week in a table
First week
In the first days of life, the baby and mother get to know each other, and the baby's basic need is close contact with the mother. The best food for the baby is colostrum, which after a few days is replaced by mature milk, adjusting to the needs of the baby.
Outwardly, the child does not yet look like babies on the pages of the magazine. The face of the baby after childbirth is asymmetrical, swelling often occurs on the head, and the head itself is flattened and slightly extended into an oval.
The skin is often red and turns pale only by the end of the first week. Some children develop peeling of the skin on the chest and tummy at 3-5 days of life. A slight yellowness from the 3rd day of life is also considered the norm.
In addition, the following features are noted in the first week:
- Muscle tone is increased in the first week.
- The baby has no tears in the first weeks of life, and the sweat glands are still developing (their function is getting better by the 7th day of life).
- There should be no plaque on the mucous membranes; it should normally be moist and pink.
- By the end of the first week, the umbilical wound dries up and heals.
- The baby's nose is sometimes covered with a rash in the form of small white dots.
- The baby's heart beats 110-170 times per minute, and the normal respiratory rate per minute is 30-50 times.
- From the second or third day, instead of meconium, yellowish stools with a sour odor begin to stand out about 4-5 times a day (with breastfeeding).
For how the baby looks in the first days after giving birth, see the video.
Second week
Skin redness, swelling, and yellowness often go away this week. The baby begins to gain weight, and the hypertonicity in the limbs, which is considered the norm for a child in the first month of life, still persists. The kid has not yet learned how to hold his head, but the baby's legs and arms are still involuntary and chaotic.
Such nuances are also noted:
- The baby sleeps most of the day (about 16-20 hours).
- Thermoregulation has not yet been adjusted.
- The palms and feet are covered with dry skin.
- The nails grow back, so they already need to be cut.
- The skin of many children begins to peel off.
- There are at least 15 urinations per day.
- The child's intestines are emptied 3-4 times a day, and the feces are mushy, yellow.
Third week
The movements of the limbs of a toddler older than 2 weeks are already becoming less chaotic, and the skull of most babies of the third week of life has regained its shape.
The activity of the baby is growing, and due to the abundance of impressions, many babies become irritable in the evening.
The cry of the baby changes, acquiring intonation, for example, when the baby is disturbed by something, the cry will be loud and demanding.
For a child of the third week of life, the following features are also characteristic:
- The sense of smell of the crumbs becomes sharper.
- The baby begins to feel the balance and position of his own body in space.
- There are at least 10-12 meals for breastfeeding at this age.
- The toddler begins to recognize the faces and voices of loved ones.
- The daily routine is only being established, the baby still spends most of the day in a dream.
Bowel emptying at this age occurs 2 to 8 times a day. When breastfeeding, the stool is yellow, with a butter-milky smell and a mustard consistency... If the baby receives the mixture, the stool happens 1-4 times a day, and the feces are darker and harder, with an unpleasant odor and a brownish tinge.
Fourth week
The development of the baby is going at a high pace this week. The baby is getting better and better at adapting to the world around him, rejoicing at his parents, watching the toys and starting to gag. Sleep in a child's day of the fourth week of life takes about 17-19 hours, and the number of feedings is at least 6-7.
The following developmental features are noted:
- The baby's legs and arms are still bent and the fists are clenched.
- The child has not yet learned how to coordinate his movements well.
- The infant actively learns to hold his head.
- When dissatisfied, the little one cries loudly and moves abruptly, for example, twisting his legs when he is worried about colic.
- Most babies have blue eyes, but they can change color as they age.
- Vision is not yet fully complete, so it is difficult for a baby to concentrate.
- Tears begin to stand out.
How many grams do newborns gain per week?
The weight gain of a newborn baby depends on various factors (gender, mother's nutrition, heredity, health status, and others), but there are average indicators showing how much the baby adds on average in each week of life.
Weight and how much the baby should add:
Remember that the data in the table are approximate, and each toddler develops individually, so small deviations are allowed. If the differences from these indicators are significant, consult your pediatrician.
