EDITOR’S PICK:
All of us began as babies, over the course of time going from infant to adult, a lot of things change! we have little or no memory of our childhood.
1. They have no kneecaps
Yes, you heard me right! Babies are in fact born without any kneecaps, they have a structure made of cartilage that resembles a kneecap, but they don’t fully develop until around 6 months of age.
2. Babies born in May are the heaviest
Most people assume that babies born in January will be the heaviest because of all the feasting over Christmas and New Year. But research has shown that babies during the month of May are the heaviest, weighing around 200g more than babies born in any other month of the year.
3. Newborn babies have no tears
Whilst your baby will howl and scream to get what they want or need, they won’t theoretically cry. Newborn babies are unable to produce tears until around three weeks of age, this is because their tear ducts are not fully developed at birth. They will always produce moisture to keep the eyes well lubricated and healthy, but there will be no proper tears shed at least for the first 3-4 weeks.
4. Most babies have a birth mark
Most people consider a birth mark is an abnormality, but they’re totally normal, in fact, about 80% of babies are born with some sort of birth mark, with the most common types being a ‘stork bite’ or ‘port wine stain’. Most birth marks are caused by tiny blood vessels under the skin becoming dilated during labour and usually disappear after a few years.
5. Babies’ hair falls out
Don’t become too attached to that thick head of hair your baby was born with! Newborns tend to lose the hair they are born with during the first few weeks of birth. While it will gradually grow back over the first year, there’s no guarantee it will be the same as before.
6. Babies have impressive reflexes
A newborn baby is born with around 70 reflexes. For example, if you hold your baby upright with his feet on a flat surface, his legs will do a stepping motion. Of course, your baby can’t walk right now, but the knowledge of how to walk is born as a primitive reflex in your baby. Have you noticed that your baby jumps a lot? This is a reflex known as a ‘moro’, or startle reflex, which is a natural response all babies have to a loud noise.
FURTHER READING
7. Time to smile
Your baby will start to smile somewhere between 6-8 weeks of age. When you hit this age you can try to make your baby smile with funny faces or voices.
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