Newborn Traits

Some of the normal variations in the appearance of newborns include:

• Head shape/molding: Molding is the irregular shape of a baby’s head that happens during the delivery process. Their normal head shape will usually return by the end of the first week.
• Eyes: Many babies are born with bluish-grey eyes, but the eye colour may change, typically reaching its permanent colour by twelve months (sometimes later). If your baby’s eye colour is brown at birth, it should remain this colour. Your baby may also look cross-eyed at times, but this usually improves by 3 months.
• Vernix: This is a white, creamy, ‘cheese-like’ substance that can appear on your baby’s skin at birth. It protects your baby’s skin during pregnancy.
• Lanugo: This is the soft hair on your baby’s body, especially on the shoulders, back, forehead, and cheeks. It will disappear over time.
• Skin bumps or acne: babies can develop tiny, white (milia) or red bumps on their face, or they may have a newborn rash (red rash with white bumps). In most cases these are common and will go away on their own.
• Dermal melanocytosis (also referred to as Mongolian spots): are blue or purple-colored splotches on the baby’s lower back and buttocks. It is normal for darker skin babies of all races to have these marks. They usually disappear in the first few years of life.
• ‘Stork Bites’: these are small pink or red patches that can appear on your baby’s face or neck and may be the most visible when your baby is crying. Most of these spots fade completely over time.
• Genitals: it is common for a newborn’s genitals to appear swollen due to being exposed to high hormone levels in the uterus. They will become smaller over time as the hormones in their body are reduced.

• Touch: Newborns sense temperature, texture, pressure, and pain. At birth, babies are brought into an environment where their arms and legs can suddenly move freely, instead of being cocooned in the uterus. This new freedom can make babies frantic, and they may flail and thrash about. Placing a hand on the baby’s abdomen, cuddling close, and safe swaddling can help your baby feel more secure.
• Hearing: Hearing is fully developed in most newborns. Since mid-pregnancy your baby has been able to recognize and find comfort in your heartbeat and the familiar voices they heard while in the womb. Babies with normal hearing should react to loud sounds by startling, focus on their parent’s voice, and briefly pause their movements when they hear sounds at a normal speaking level.
• Vision: Vision will be the least developed sense of your newborn baby. Babies are born with the ability to focus only at close range, at about 8-10 inches, or the distance between you and your baby in your arms. In the first few weeks, babies can track or follow an object. Focus improves over the first 2-3 years of life to a normal vision.
• Smell: Your newborn will have a keen sense of smell. Newborns especially show a preference for the smell of the birthing person (aka you!), especially your breast milk.
• Taste: Taste buds begin forming early in pregnancy. Your baby will likely prefer sweet tastes over sour or bitter ones, as many do.