45 newborn guides
Newborn
Feeding, sleep, nappies, weight gain and the red flags worth knowing in the first six weeks — sourced to NHS, NICE, HSE and the AAP.
NewbornBathing a NewbornNewborns do not need a daily bath. How to top and tail, when to switch from sponge baths, the water…NewbornBringing a Newborn HomeThe first day at home with a newborn, from the car seat to the first night. What actually needs…NewbornCan Newborns HearNewborns hear before birth and prefer your voice to any other sound. The published hearing…NewbornClicky Hips in a NewbornA click when you change a nappy, a hip scan letter, or a Pavlik harness. What developmental…NewbornColic and Excessive CryingColic affects about one in five babies and ends by three or four months. What soothing helps, why…NewbornCradle CapCradle cap affects most babies, does not itch and clears itself. What actually loosens the scales,…NewbornHow Often to Change a Newborn NappyWhether to wake a sleeping newborn to change them, how many nappies a day to expect, and the…NewbornHow to Hold a NewbornSupporting the head, passing a baby to someone else safely, and the holds that work for feeding,…NewbornHow to Take a Newborn's TemperatureWhich thermometer to use on a newborn, where to put it, and why forehead strips are not accurate.…NewbornNappy RashNappy rash is caused by skin sitting in wee or poo. Frequent changes, barrier cream and nappy-free…NewbornNewborn Acne and Baby Skin RashesBaby acne, milia, erythema toxicum and blotchy newborn skin are normal and clear themselves. What…NewbornNewborn Barely CriesSome newborns really are quiet. But a weak or high-pitched cry is a published red flag, and so is a…NewbornNewborn Blue Hands and Mottled SkinBlue hands and feet in a newborn are usually normal. Blue lips, tongue or face are not. The line…NewbornNewborn Bowed LegsCurved legs and a gap between the knees are normal in babies and small children. The ages at which…NewbornNewborn Breathing Pauses in SleepIrregular newborn breathing with short pauses has a name and a published pattern. What periodic…NewbornNewborn Congestion and Noisy BreathingNewborns are noisy breathers and most of it is harmless. How to tell snuffles and stridor from…NewbornNewborn ConstipationStraining is not constipation, and breastfed babies can go days. What newborn poo should look like,…NewbornNewborn Eyes CrossingNewborn eyes that drift apart or cross are usually normal and settle. But the age at which that…NewbornNewborn Feet Turning InFeet that point inwards, toes that curl under, ankles that look bent. What positional talipes is,…NewbornNewborn Foreskin CareA newborn's foreskin is attached and must never be retracted. How to clean it properly, what smegma…NewbornNewborn Hair LossBaby hair on the sheet, a bald patch at the back, and fine hair on the shoulders. What paediatric…NewbornNewborn Head Shape After BirthA pointed head, a lump on one side, a flattening at the back. Which newborn head shapes settle by…NewbornNewborn HiccupsHiccups that go on and on look alarming and almost never are. What paediatric guidance says, what…NewbornNewborn Hunger CuesRooting, hands to the mouth and stirring all come before crying. What early and late feeding cues…NewbornNewborn JaundiceJaundice in the first 24 hours is always urgent. What normal newborn jaundice looks like, the…NewbornNewborn Jittery and ShakingJerking, twitching or trembling in a newborn is on every red flag list published for babies. What…NewbornNewborn Poo ColourMeconium, mustard yellow, green, and the three colours that always need a call. A newborn poo…NewbornNewborn Projectile and Green VomitingGreen or yellow-green vomit and forceful vomiting after every feed are both on NICE's red flag list…NewbornNewborn Skin PeelingSheets of skin coming off a newborn's hands, feet and ankles look dramatic. Why it happens, how…NewbornNewborn Sleep: What Is Normal in the First WeeksNewborns sleep 14 to 17 hours a day in bursts of two to three, with no day-night rhythm. What the…NewbornNewborn Sleeping Too MuchA newborn who sleeps through feeds is a different question from one who sleeps a lot. The published…NewbornNewborn Soft SpotA newborn's fontanelle is safe to touch, pulses normally, and closes over about a year. A sunken or…NewbornNewborn Startle ReflexYour newborn flings their arms out at the smallest sound. That is the Moro reflex, it peaks in the…NewbornNewborn Swollen Breasts and DischargeSwollen breasts in a newborn boy or girl, and white or bloody discharge in a baby girl's nappy, are…NewbornNewborn Weight Loss and Regain in the First WeekAll newborns lose weight in the first days. How much is normal, when birthweight should be back,…NewbornReflux and Posseting in BabiesPosseting is an easy dribble of milk; vomiting is forceful. How to tell them apart, what reduces…NewbornSafe Sleep and Reducing SIDS RiskBack to sleep, every sleep. A clear, flat, firm, separate sleep space. Room-share for six months.…NewbornUmbilical Cord Care and When It Falls OffThe stump falls off between 5 and 15 days, sometimes three weeks. How to clean it, why antiseptic…NewbornUndescended Testicles in a NewbornTesticles that come and go, a swollen scrotum, or one you cannot feel at all. What the newborn…NewbornVitamin K Injection for NewbornsEvery newborn is offered vitamin K within hours of birth. What it prevents, how the injection…NewbornWhat Can a Newborn SeeNewborns see best at about 20 to 30cm, roughly the distance to your face during a feed. What they…NewbornWhen Do Babies' Eyes Change ColourBaby eye colour can keep changing for a year. What a paediatrician says about the timing, why…NewbornWhen Do Babies SmileNewborns smile in their sleep long before they smile at you. When a social smile is expected, what…NewbornWhen to Call a Doctor About a NewbornA temperature of 38C in a baby under three months is an emergency. The full newborn red-flag list…NewbornWinding and Burping a NewbornTwenty minutes on the shoulder and nothing. What trapped wind actually looks like in a newborn,…