The Newborn Child
Introduction
The newborn child has just entered the world outside its mother’s womb. As soon as it is born the it begins to adjust to life outside the uterus. It will now not have oxygen and nutrition via the umbilical chord. The newborn child begins to perceive all the different sensations and they will respond to stroking, touching and cuddling. Everyday the mother should give warm baths to the child and massage its skin for promoting blood circulation. The child has a natural tendency of sucking and hence it can suckle on its mother’s breasts.
Good Vision
The newborn child has good vision and it is able to focus on objects that are 45 cms away. The perception in depth will not be fully developed until the newborn child starts to walk. It will begin to cry when it is hungry and when it is not feeding or sleeping, it will stare at objects around it. Anything that is brightly colored or moving will attract the kid’s attention. However the child has more preference to look at human faces.
Hearing Ability
The hearing ability is quite sharp. It may turn its head towards the side from where noise is coming. Normally it likes listening to soothing sounds such as music. Loud noise and blaring music may irritate the newborn who may begin to cry. Studies show that the fetus responds more to a female’s voice than a male’s voice. The sound of the mother’s voice has a calming effect on the newborn.
Tasting Sense
The sense of taste is also quite developed. It can differ between tastes such as salty, bitter, sweet and sour. The newborn has a preference for sweet things. When the child begins to cry it may be portraying a feeling of boredom, irritation, fear, discomfort, wanting something and being hungry.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is the best food for the 1st six months. In case breastfeeding is not possible at a particular period of time then the milk can be pumped into a bottle. The young one is born with a sucking reflex and hence it can suck milk from the nipples or from the baby bottle. Food supplements are normally given after 6 months when the baby begins to grow. Parents either use home cooked food or they make use of commercial baby foods that are available in the market. Cow’ milk can be fed up to a year but after 2 to 3 years milk with low fats should be given such as buffalo’s milk.
Diapers come in handy till the baby is toilet trained. The baby normally needs a lot of sleeping time. The newborn child may sleep for up to 18 hours a day. The young one normally starts walking after 15 months. It starts crawling after 9 months. The parents will carry the newborn child in the arm or use a baby carrier till it learns how to walk.
Caring for your Newborn Child is not an easy task. You can find advice and information about Newborn Child on newbornchild.net.
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