One thing about parenthood is that no matter if you are a new parent or it is your 3rd or 4th child, you will always discover new thing(s) about your newborn.
From the minute you leave the hospital, you are in charge of your newborn and yourself.
You may have thought that you are ready for it, that you already know most of the things (thanks to the frequent consultation and Mr Google), not until all hell broke loose.
Worry not, mummies. You are not alone. There are a lot of other mums out there who have the same concerns and questions as you.
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And for that, we have pulled together these frequently asked questions about your newborn and let Dr Melanie Majaham, a Consultant Paediatrician from Sunway Medical Centre Velocity (SMCV) eases your worries.
Q1. What would be the main Newborn Milestone(s) for new-mum to look forward to?
Dr Melanie: New mums and dads are always excited about the milestones achieved by their babies.
These are some of the common milestones in the first year of life:
- Good head and neck control by 3 months old
- Vocalizing with vowel sounds (oooh, aah) by 3 months
- Rolling over between 4-6 months old
- Mouthing by 4-6 months
- Reaching out for toys by 4-6 months
- Sitting with support by 6-8 months
- Babbling by 8-10 months
- Crawling by 8-10 months
- Clapping and waving by 10-12 months
- Walking by 10-12 months
- A mature pincer grasp by 10-12 months
- First word by 12 months
Every baby develops differently. It is important to follow up regularly with your family doctor/paediatrician as any potential delays can be picked up early.
Q2. Can we bathe our newborn at night?
Dr Melanie: When to bathe a baby is usually a cultural preference.
In most Asian countries, parents were told to avoid bathing a baby at night or in the evening because of the belief that it will be too “cooling” for the baby.
In a more Westernized culture, bathing babies in the evening are encouraged as part of a bedtime routine. There is no medical indication for a proper bathing time, so long as the ambient temperature and water temperature is warm for the baby’s comfort.
Nowadays, the cultural lines are more blurred.
Q3. Some people say that you cannot touch the soft spot or fontanelles of a newborn. Is it true?
Dr Melanie: Absolutely not! It is okay for you to touch the fontanelles.
You just have to be gentle when handling this area, especially when bathing the baby. Babies are born with two fontanelles—at the front and the back of the head.
These are areas in the skull that are not covered with bone and so it is soft to touch. The skull consists of various pieces of bone that are attached together at the sutures.
The sutures and the fontanelles allow room for the brain to grow as the babies grow. Doctors usually feel the fontanelles, as a sunken or bulging fontanelle can be indicative of a medical problem.
Q4. Can I take my newborn out in the public?
Dr Melanie: A newborn’s immune system is usually not as competent as an adult or older children.
Especially with the current pandemic, it is not advisable to take the baby out to public places or
crowded areas.
Furthermore, babies should not wear a mask as it can compromise their breathing.
Even in family gatherings, it is not advisable for visitors to constantly kiss or touch your baby’s face without proper hand hygiene, as these are all risks of spreading infection.
Q5. Would it be okay if I didn’t vaccine my newborn according to the timeline given by the doctor?
Dr Melanie: All vaccines have a recommended schedule and intervals between injections. A slight delay is still acceptable, as long as parents/caregivers reschedule the appointment at the next earliest time.
However, regularly postponing and delaying 1 or 2 doses will end up delaying the whole schedule. This will result in delayed protection for your precious little one!
Q6. Can teething causes fever, diarrhoea and runny nose?
Dr Melani: Yes it can. This is because while the tooth is erupting from the gums, there will be a local inflammatory response. This results in fever, extra salivation and a runny nose.
Occasionally, because of the extra saliva, babies might even cough a bit or have watery poop. Babies also get very irritable and may want to be comforted more.
Having said that, if you are not sure what is the cause of the symptoms, do consult your doctor.
Q7. Based on your experience, what is/are the common mistakes parents make with newborns? And what would be your advice to the parents?
Dr Melanie: Common misconceptions that I usually face include:
- Feeding water to young babies.
- Constantly changing formula milk based on poop colour.
- Over-swaddling baby.
Babies do not require water for the first 6 months of life. If babies are fully breastfed, 88 % of breastmilk consists of water.
In formula-fed babies, every scoop of formula powder will be diluted to 30 ml of water.
Giving plain water can cause an imbalance in the baby’s blood and salt concentration especially if given excessively. This can lead to swelling of the baby’s brain and seizures.
Babies will obtain their water requirements in the form of breast milk and formula milk. Once the baby begins weaning to semi-solid food, water can be given.
Baby’s normal poop colour can range from yellow-green and is usually slightly watery, bubbly or paste-like.
The frequency of poop depends on the baby’s age and whether the baby is formula fed/breastfed or has started a weaning diet.
Do discuss with your doctor if there are concerns about the baby’s poop. It is not always necessary to change the baby’s formula immediately.
Due to fear of the baby being too cold, many times babies are swaddled with thick blankets or wool.
Over-swaddling baby can lead to fever as baby does not have a very efficient system for regulating their body temperature.
Overheating a baby can also increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Room temperature can be kept at a comfortable 18-22°C for air-conditioned rooms and usually, a baby will only require a single layer of cotton, breathable material as a blanket.
Q8. Does the diffuser really work and safe for our kids/babies? What about asthmatic kids?
Dr Melanie: Some diffused essential oils can cause chemical irritation to young kids and babies and may even trigger an asthmatic attack.
Depending on the type of essential oils, some are even harmful and can cause seizures if given below the age of 2 years old.
Furthermore, most of the studies done for essential oils are done in adults. Do be very cautious and consult your doctor before trying out diffusers with essential oils.
Q9. Some Malay mums are using these “tips”: rendam dalam air cincau, titiskan air anggur hitam dalam mulut bayi etc – to lower the jaundice level of their newborn baby. Are these methods safe and effective?
Dr Melanie: Jaundice (yellow discolouration of skin and whites of the eye) is a result of a pigment called bilirubin.
When the babies old red blood cells break down to make way for new red blood cells, the bilirubin is released into the system and subsequently cleared by the liver.
Jaundice is normal in newborns and is contributed by a relatively immature liver and a faster break down of red blood cells.
Not all babies require treatment as it depends on the baby’s bilirubin level. Hence, a safe treatment option is the phototherapy (blue light) as this will help break down the excessive bilirubin in the blood, so that baby can poop it out.
Various cultural or traditional methods can cause a delay in seeking medical treatment and lead to excessively high jaundice which is dangerous for the baby’s brain.
Q10. What is the best way a parent can do to stimulate our baby to speak?
Dr Melanie: There are many ways a baby can learn language from their parents.
Singing to baby, repetition of words in an excited tone, picture cards, reading to babies, and popular nursery rhymes all contribute to baby’s first words.
Babies have extremely short attention span so constant repetition is usually necessary. Do make it a fun learning experience with your baby.
Q11. Based on a report published by Forbes, antibodies for COVID-19 are found in breast milk after the vaccine. Could you explain more about this? How will it affect our baby?
Dr Melanie: Lactating mothers who have been vaccinated against mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, can pass on these antibodies to the baby via breast milk.
Early studies have indicated that these antibodies may provide protection to the baby although more studies will be needed to determine how effective the antibodies are in these infants and if effective, how long will the protection last.
