25 Shocking Facts About Newborn Babies You’d Surprise to Know 

Summary: Several shocking facts about Newborn babies are included in this blog. Some of them are that they have 300 bones at birth, they cannot produce tears, their eye colors change, they are born without kneecaps, and much more.  

Have you ever wondered about the fascinating world of newborn babies and all the incredible things their tiny bodies can do? From the number of bones they’re born with to their impressive reflexes and abilities, newborns are truly amazing little beings. In this blog post, we’ll explore over 25 shocking facts about newborn babies that will leave you in awe of these tiny humans.

So, whether you’re a first-time parent or a seasoned pro, these fascinating facts about newborn babies will undoubtedly broaden your understanding. Get ready to be amazed!

Newborn Facts for New Parents 

Here are some mind-blowing facts about your newborn babies that you would be surprise to know:  

1. Babies Have 300 Bones at Birth 

When a baby is first born, its tiny body is composed of around 300 separate bones. This high number allows for greater flexibility during the birthing process and accommodates its rapid growth in the first few years. As the child develops, many of these bones gradually fuse together through ossification until they reach 206 bones by adulthood.

2. Newborn Eye Discharge

Don’t panic if you spot some gunk in your baby’s eyes – it’s pretty normal! This “sticky eye” situation is often due to narrow tear ducts in newborns. The discharge helps guard against bacteria, like a tiny eye protector. Usually, it clears up on its own as the tear ducts open up. You can help by gently wiping with a damp cloth from the inner corner outward. 

3. Newborns Cannot Produce Tears

Although newborns can cry loudly and show visible distress, they cannot produce real tears. This is because the tear ducts in their eyes are not yet fully open and functional. It usually takes 4-8 weeks after delivery for a baby’s lacrimal system to mature enough to allow them to cry genuine teardrops.

4. Newborn Vision is Nearsighted 

Another one of the interesting and surprising facts about newborn babies is that they are incredibly nearsighted. They can see clearly only 8-15 inches from their face. Objects beyond this distance appear blurred due to their visually immature eyes and underdeveloped visual cortex. Gradually, over the next several months, a baby’s eyesight improves as the baby’s eyes and brain connections strengthen and mature.

5. Some Newborn Kids Get Jaundice

If your baby’s skin and eyes have a yellowish tint, don’t freak out – it might be jaundice. This common condition affects about 60% of newborns in the first week of life. It happens when there’s a buildup of bilirubin, a yellow substance produced when red blood cells break down. Newborn livers are still learning the ropes, so they can’t always process bilirubin fast enough.

Most cases are mild and clear up independently within a couple of weeks. Your doctor might recommend more frequent feedings or some sunbathing (seriously, controlled sun exposure can help!). In some cases, they might suggest phototherapy—basically, your baby chills under special lights that help break down the bilirubin. It looks like a mini tanning session, but it’s totally safe and effective.

6. Birthmarks are Common in Newborns 

It is pretty common and normal for newborn babies to have visible birthmarks of various shapes, colors, and patterns on their skin. As per a study, over 10% of babies have some sort of birthmark. These are flat or raised areas caused by concentrated deposits of the skin pigment melanin. The most frequent types are moles and café-au-lait spots. Most birthmarks are harmless and require no treatment.

7. Newborns Sleep Most of the Day 

Newborn infants spend the majority of their first few months of life sleeping. On average, they sleep 16-17 hours per 24-hour day, only waking for short periods to feed. This prolonged sleeping is critical to accommodating their rapid development and growth and processing all the new experiences and stimuli around them.

8. Babies Mimic Accents from Birth

From an incredibly young age, just days after birth, babies begin distinguishing and attempting to mimic the accents, tones, inflections, and sounds of the languages spoken around them. Their brains are neurologically primed for intensive language acquisition starting immediately. Exposing babies to multiple accents can aid their speech development.

9. Newborn Eye Colors Can Change 

Another one of the mind-blowing facts about babies is that their newA newborn’s striking eye color at birth is often just a temporary novelty shade that may change over time. As more pigment accumulates in the iris over their first year of life, many babies undergo partial or even complete eye color changes as blues and grays gradually transition to browns, hazels, or greens.

10. Infants Can Breathe and Swallow Simultaneously

Unlike older children and adults who must pause their breathing to swallow, newborn infants can coordinate breathing and swallowing simultaneously. This reflex allows them to seamlessly suck, swallow and breathe while breastfeeding or bottle-feeding without needing to stop and restart their respiratory cycle continually.

11. Babies Have Innate Survival Reflexes 

At birth, babies emerge equipped with an impressive set of inborn reflexes that are essential for their basic functions and survival. This includes the sucking reflex to feed, the grasp reflex to cling, the startle reflex, the stepping reflex that mimics walking motions, and the rooting reflex to help locate a nipple.

12. Babies Quadruple Weight in First Year 

During their first year outside the womb, newborn infants undergo an astonishing period of rapid growth and weight gain. On average, babies quadruple their body weight by the end of their first 12 months compared to their weight at birth. This blistering growth rate requires a newborn to consume large amounts of nutrients and sleep many hours daily.

13. An Infant’s Bowel Movements Change 

The makeup, color, consistency, smell, and composition of a newborn’s poop change significantly over the first months as they age and begin transitioning to different foods beyond just breast milk or formula. New parents should expect to see many variations in their baby’s dirty diapers.

14. Babies Recognize Womb Music and Voices

Studies show babies can recognize and have calming physiological responses to music, songs, and voices they were repeatedly exposed to before birth while in the womb. A newborn may appear comforted by tunes their mother frequently played or talked over, showing familiarity with those sounds.

15. Newborn Hair Loss is Temporary 

Another shocking facts about newborn babies is related to their hair. Newborn babies experience excessive hair loss and shedding in the first few months after birth. This is quite natural. It often leaves them with significantly thinner hair compared to their full head at delivery. This is a temporary issue as the remaining hair falls out, and their permanent locks begin growing in. Other than this, there are several temporary issues with children like colic, baby acne, cold & cough, and jaundice, all of which typically resolve on their own as your baby grows.

16. Babies Are Born Without Kneecaps 

Newborns are born without fully formed kneecaps or patellae bones. These crucial bones that protect the knee joints develop gradually over the first few years as a child begin pulling themselves upright and applying more weight and pressure to their legs through crawling and walking.

17. Newborns Have a Swimming Reflex 

From birth, babies have an innate swimming reflex and muscle memory that allows them to momentarily hold their breath, move their arms and legs in swimming motions, and keep their faces above water if submerged. This survival skill is quickly extinguished if not practiced regularly.

18. Periodic Breathing is Normal for Infants 

It is normal and not a cause for concern if a newborn baby has periodic episodes of stopping breathing for up to 20 seconds at a time. Known as periodic breathing, this is a typical infant reflex related to their immature respiratory systems that most outgrow within a few months.

19. Newborns Have Dry, Peeling Skin

Most newborn babies experience excessively dry, flaky, peeling, or cracking skin in the first few weeks after delivery as their skin works to adjust to the drier air outside the womb’s moist environment. Keeping their delicate skin well moisturized can minimize this issue.

20. Red is the First Color Babies See 

The very first color a newborn’s immature eyes and visual processing centers can detect and distinguish is the bright red hue on the warmer color spectrum. This early ability to see red evolves before other color vision develops more completely over their first year.

21. Baby Girls Have Swollen Breasts at Birth 

It is perfectly normal for newborn baby girls to have temporary, slightly swollen, or engorged breasts or nipples in the first few weeks. This is caused by lingering maternal estrogen hormones that were transferred to the infant before birth. The swelling subsides naturally.

22. The Soft Spot is a Normal Skull Feature

The seemingly vulnerable soft spot, known as the fontanel, on the top of a newborn’s skull is actually a normal and necessary feature. This flexible membrane allows the bony plates of the skull to move during birth, then gradually hardens and closes as the baby grows.

23. Some Newborn Girls Have Pseudo-Periods 

Some newborn baby girls experience a small amount of vaginal bleeding or discharge called a pseudo-period in the first weeks after delivery. This is caused by a withdrawal from their mother’s hormones after the placenta detaches and is not a cause for concern.

24. Babies Can Taste and Smell from 

Birth While their senses are still quite immature, newborn babies enter the world with the ability to taste and smell from birth. In fact, they show early preferences for sweet flavors and their mother’s own natural scent that was ever-present in the womb environment.

25. Babies Have Cone Cells for Color Vision

From birth, infants possess cone cells in their eyes that will eventually facilitate color vision and perception as those cells develop further. However, a newborn’s initial color detection abilities are limited compared to those of adults before their visual system strengthens.

Final Thoughts

So, these were some shocking facts about newborn babies. As new parents, understanding these unique traits can help you better care your baby and appreciate your little ones during their crucial first months of life. 

Remember, every child is unique, so your baby may not exhibit all these characteristics or may develop at a slightly different pace. Trust your instincts, enjoy the journey of parenthood, and don’t hesitate to reach out to your pediatrician if you have any concerns.

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