Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Updated visitor guidelines. You are here Home » Physical Growth in Newborns. Top of the page. Topic Overview In the first month, your doctor will pay close attention to your baby's increasing weight, length, and head circumference, which is measured around the largest point of the head, usually starting at a point on the forehead.
In general: Boys are usually a little heavier than girls. First babies are usually lighter than later siblings. Large parents generally have large babies, while small parents generally have small babies. Do not be alarmed if your newborn has: An irregularly shaped head, often referred to as the "cone-head. Bruising may also occur. Usually the head shape returns to normal in a few days to a week.
Squinty-looking, bloodshot eyes. This is caused by swelling during labor and delivery. Also, antibiotic eye ointment given in the hospital can make your baby's eyes look gooey or small.
Your baby's eyes will start to look larger and brighter within a couple of weeks. Downy hair on forehead, cheeks, shoulders, and back. This is especially common in babies who are born earlier than their due date. It will usually go away within a few weeks after birth. Swollen breasts or genitals.
This occurs in both boys and girls when the mother's hormones pass to the baby during birth. Some very large babies — especially those born to mothers with diabetes, including gestational diabetes — may have problems for a few days keeping blood sugar levels up. They might need extra feedings or even IV given into a vein glucose to keep those levels from falling too low.
Yes, at first. Babies are born with some extra fluid, so it's normal for them to drop a few ounces when they lose that fluid in the first few days of life. During their first month, most newborns gain weight at a rate of about 1 ounce 30 grams per day.
Many newborns go through a period of rapid growth when they are 7 to 10 days old and again at 3 and 6 weeks. Newborns are so small, and it can be hard to know if your baby is gaining weight the way he or she should.
You may worry that your baby has lost too much weight in the first few days or isn't taking enough breast milk or formula. If so, talk to your doctor, who may ask you about:.
Being small or large at birth doesn't mean a baby will be small or large later in childhood or as an adult. Plenty of tall teens began life as small babies, and the biggest baby in the family can grow up to be a petite adult. By the time they're adults, kids tend to resemble their parents in size. Genetics , as well as good nutrition and your attention, will play a large part in how your baby grows in the years to come. Whether your baby starts out large, small, or average, in the next few months you can expect your little one to keep growing fast.
Reviewed by: Madhu Desiraju, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. How Big Are Newborns? Other factors include: Size of parents. Big and tall parents may have larger-than-average newborns; short and petite parents may have smaller-than-average newborns. Multiple births. If you have twins, triplets, or more, you can count on your babies being a bit small.
Multiples have to share their growing space in the uterus, and they're often born early, which leads to small size at birth. Birth order. First babies are sometimes smaller than brothers or sisters born later. Like weight, length and head circumference help your baby's healthcare provider get an idea of his or her overall health.
They may also be measured using metric units, centimeters cm instead of inches in. Generally, a newborn's head is about half the baby's body length in cm plus 10 cm. So a baby that is 18 inches long would be His or her head would be about
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