Newborn period

The time during which a child is officially considered a newborn is the first 28 days of his life. This period is not chosen by chance, because in the first month in the life of the baby there are cardinal changes. Let's find out what are the features of the newborn period, and how the child develops at this time.

General characteristics of the neonatal period

The child who emerged from the womb of the mother, is not aware of all the diversity of the surrounding world, with which he meets. He owns only a few reflexes, which determine the leading activity in the period of newborn.

1. The physiological parameters of the newborn child are greatly influenced by the fact that he was born full or prematurely . The height and weight of the average full-term baby at birth varies from 47 to 54 cm and from 2.5 to 4.5 kg, respectively. In the first 5 days, babies lose weight to 10%; this is called physiological weight loss, which is soon restored. Parameters of the premature baby directly depend on the week of pregnancy that was born.
2. All babies have a sucking, grasping, motor and search reflex, as well as some others. Nature has provided them with such a unique protective mechanism that helps to survive in case of danger.
3. The position of the child's body during the first month remains almost the same as in the womb of the mother: limbs are bent and pressed to the trunk, the muscles are in tonus. This hypertension gradually goes to 2-3 months.
4. In 1-2 days from the intestine of the newborn is allocated the original feces, meconium. Then the chair becomes "transitional", and by the end of the first week it is normalized and turns into "milky", which has a characteristic acidic odor. The frequency of bowel movements is approximately equal to the frequency of feeding. The baby is wetted during the newborn period from 15 to 20 times a day.
5. The need for sleep in the first 28 days is very high, children can sleep up to 20-22 hours a day. With regard to nutrition, the main food in the ideal is to serve the mother's milk in an amount that the child himself determines. When breastfeeding, the need for liquid is also provided by milk.

As for the psychological characteristics of the neonatal period, its main indicator is the physical breakdown of the child with the mother. It is natural, and with the preservation of biological and psychological contact passes easily and without problems.

After a month, the child begins to demonstrate a revival complex - a craving for communication, a smile, a walk - which is considered the main criterion in the transition from newborn to infancy.