1. BRINGING
HOME
BABY

2. How a newborn looks
Newborns have their own distinct appearance. To parents a newborn looks beautiful. Others may think older babies are cuter.
At birth a baby’s skin is blotchy and wrinkled
Head maybe misshaped
Ears are pressed to their head
Eyebrows and Eyelashes can barely
be seen
Cheeks are fat
Noses can appear flattened
-- Fontanel- Soft spot on top of head
All these characteristics will take a few weeks to develop after the birth.

3. A newborns head seems to be oversized to the rest of its body.
The head accounts to ¼th of the babies total length.
Humans head is 1/7 of their total height
Their neck is short with very weak muscles
Very important to always support their head
Heartbeat is twice as fast as a normal adult
A normal weight of a newborn is 7 to 7 ½ lbs
Boys are often longer and heavier then girls

4. What the Newborn Can See
All babies are born with light colored eyes
Eyes are not exposed to light
If baby is inherited with dark colored eyes,
in weeks to come this will change
Eye muscles are not formed
May look cross eyed
The eyes are very sensitive to light
They prefer patterns to plain colors
Slow movement with bright colors
At the age of 3 weeks, the human face is what babies most like to see

5. What can they Hear? Hearing develops before birth
A fetus responds to loud
noises while still in the womb
They will respond more to a woman’s voice then men
High pitched sounds (parents talking)

6. What can they Smell and Taste?
A baby soon learns to recognize their mother by her smell
Babies can recognize unpleasant odors in the air.
Crying when diapers are full
A mother’s eating habits can
affect the babies nutritional value
Medications
Nursing mothers need 500 more calories per day
Newborns need to eat 8 to 10 times per day
20-30 minutes per feeding

7. If needed, bottles must be boiled at all times.
NEVER microwave bottles, creates hot spots due to uneven heating
Never leave a baby alone during feeding
May choke
Always discard unused formula due to bacteria
Self demand feeding
Parents feed the baby when its hungry

8. What can they Feel? They can sense changes in temperature at birth
Dislike cold (Crying when undressed)
First days after birth, they can feel pain
Physical contact will strengthen emotional bond between parents and baby

9. 5 Newborn Reflexes Rooting
When a baby’s cheeks or mouth is touched, the baby turns towards the touch and begins “rooting” to find food.
Grasping
Improves baby’s strength
Babinski
Reflex when the outside of the baby’s sole is stroked, toes will extend
Moro or Startle
Baby’s position changes quickly
Stepping
The baby is held in an upright position and the baby’s feet hit a hard surface, the baby raises the foot.

10. Grasping
Babinski
Stepping
Rooting
Moro or Startle

11. How Parents Care for their Newborns
Patience is the #1 key
Newborns like to be held
Safe and secure
Feeling of Love
Talking (intellectual and emotional development)
Holding neck
Can be severely injured

12. Sleeping Habits Newborns spend 18-20 hours a day sleeping
Longest sleep period is 5 hours
All babies are different
By 5 months babies sleep though the night
Keep babies away from drafts while sleeping
Do not have to tip toe around
Adapt to household noises

13. SIDS Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
A condition in which a infant dies suddenly in his or her sleep without warning
Major cause of death is between 2 weeks and 2 months
It is not caused by anything the parents did or did not do
Parents who smoke are in greater risk
Infants who sleep on their stomachs
Infants should always sleep on their backs
Never use pillows
Blankets should never exceed shoulders (smothering)

14. Colic Severe and intermittent abdominal pain
Gas
Upright position against the parents body
Shouldn’t last more then 3 months

15. Shaken Baby Syndrome Never shake a baby
This could happen because of anger and frustration of the parents
This can happen to infants up to 3 years of age.
Injuries if baby is shaken:
Brain damage, Blindness, Paralysis, Mental retardation, Delayed development, Even death

16. Early Childhood Development
3 Months
Turn towards light, lifts head, smiles, makes sound, wiggles legs and arms, recognizes the bottle, responds to noise, grasps toys
6 Months
Hear voices, Reaches for toys, Rolls over, Plays with toes, Holds bottle, Knows care giver, Babbles, Sits by leaning
9 Month
Copies sounds and gestures, Reaches for small objects, Move toys from one hand to the other, Sit unassisted, Support self

17. 12 Months
Knows name, Scared of strangers, Plays hide and seek, Crawls on hands and knees, Standing position, Walks by holding on, Drinks from cup, Plays peek-a-boo, Says words
15 Months
Gestures, Looks at pictures, Holds crayons, Gives toys to you, Identifies pictures, Walks
18 Months
-Pulls and pushes, Follows direction, Pulls off socks, Feeds self, Step off low objects, Points to body parts, Copies words and actions