Your baby Ten tummy time tips

the top of the head. The larger one, felt toward the front of the head, is diamond-shaped. A smaller, triangle-shaped fontanelle is found further back on the head. A newborn’s head may have a lump or two as a result of the pressure of the cervix on the head during the second stage of labour. Circular swelling and bruising of the scalp on the top and toward the back of the head is known as caput succedaneum. This will fade within days.

CEPHALOHAEMATOMA

A cephalohaematoma is a collection of blood that has seeped under the outer covering membrane of one of the skull bones. This is usually caused during birth by the pressure of the head against the mother’s pelvic bones. The lump is confined to one side on the top of the baby’s head and will take longer to disappear. The breakdown of the blood collected in a cephalohaematoma may cause these infants to become jaundiced during the first week of life.

BABY’S FACE

A newborn’s face may look quite puffy due to fluid accumulation and pressure as he moves down the birth canal. Because of the puffiness of their eyelids, some babies may not be able to open their eyes wide. Sometimes the white part of one or both of the newborn’s eyes appears blood-red. This occurs when blood leaks under the covering of the eyeball due to the pressure of delivery. It’s a harmless condition and it generally doesn’t mean there has been any damage to the eyes. The baby’s facial appearance will improve dramatically during the first few days as the extra fluid and the swelling subsides. Your baby may have a flat nose, curled-over ears or a crooked jaw, but this too will subside and correct in the early days after birth.

GENITALIA

The genitalia of both male and female infants may appear large and swollen at birth. This occurs for a few reasons, including the exposure to hormones produced by the mother and foetus and bruising and swelling of the genital tissues related to birth pressure.

THE CHIROPRACTOR

If a baby is born by C-section, vacuum or forceps and especially if the labour has been long and involved malpresentation, your baby may benefit from a visit with a chiropractor (one that specialises in babies). If your baby’s head has been positioned at an unusual angle for several weeks before birth and then encountered the rigours of birth, you can expect your baby to have a headache and neck ache. This may even interfere with correct latching at the breast if baby is in pain or his muscles are sore and tight. This will affect the infant’s cranial nerves and cause pain. The skull bones usually return to their normal position over a few days after the birth, mostly due to the suckling, which stimulates the base of the skull via the palate. If the nerve directly linked to digestion (vagus) is compressed this can also have noticeable effects on a baby’s digestive system. This is most likely to happen if the labour is long, the baby is not in a good position, or is born via emergency caesarean, forceps or vacuum. A visit with a chiropractor or cranial osteopath can make an enormous difference for some new parents and their babies.