Standard newborn growth involves specific weight ranges and milestones during the first month. Early intervention for gas, eye discharge, and stuffy noses ensures the baby remains comfortable and healthy.
Birth is a stressful event for a newborn. Newborns must make many physiologic adaptations immediately after birth, and any number of things can occur at that time. The circulatory system changes, a new oxygen source must be utilized, and the newborn must learn to coordinate sucking and swallowing to obtain nutrition.
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Newborns need to eat every few hours, since their stomachs don't hold very much milk at one time. It may take a few days for your baby to wake up and start eating normally after birth. A newborn that suddenly stops eating after that needs medical evaluation, unless you're offering feedings too close together.
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Newborns can develop a number of condition that alarm new parents but have little or no medical significance. A whitish collection of mucous-looking material that accumulates in the corners of newborn eyes falls into this category.
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When you're shopping for infant formula, you might wonder if it's prudent to switch brands if another brand is on sale. If your baby is doing well on one formula, you might worry that changing brands could cause side effects, such as diarrhea.
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Simethicone drops -- an over-the-counter remedy used by some parents with colicky infants to reduce gas bubbles in the intestines -- are generally safe for use in newborns. While gas drops are generally safe, it is unclear whether they are effective in decreasing the symptoms of colic.
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It's easy for new parents to worry about every detail of their newborn's health -- including his weight. Most newborns lose weight in the first few days after birth, for a number of reasons. Weight loss of less than 10 percent of birth weight during the first week is considered normal.
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