Special Conditions: Newborn

Excellent article about how to prepare and what to expect for your newborn's first week: https://healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/prenatal/delivery-beyond/Pages/Bringing-Baby-Home.aspx

What is Thrush? Thrush is an infection of the mouth caused by Candida, a type of yeast. Candida normally lives in and on our bodies. It normally does not cause problems but when there is overgrowth of Candida, it can cause infections such as thrush or diaper candidiasis (diaper rash). How do infants and [...]

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) in the Newborn What is it? Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common viral infection related to the viruses that cause chickenpox and mononucleosis. More than half of adults in the United States have had a CMV infection by age 40. It is spread through close contact with another person’s body fluids. In an [...]

Seborrheic Dermatitis (Cradle Cap) What is Seborrheic Dermatitis? This is a common condition that affects infants where they may have yellow greasy scales and red patches on areas that have a lot of sebaceous (oil) glands including the scalp, eyebrows, around the ears, middle of the face, chest, or other areas where skin is [...]

Crossed Eyes Many babies look cross-eyed now and then.  Usually this is caused by muscles that are temporarily out of balance.  Also, the wide skin area that babies have across the nose can make the eyes look crossed when in fact they are not.  If your child is crossing their eyes past three months [...]

Fontanelle and Skull Sutures The soft spot on your baby’s head (fontanelle) is an area where the skull bones haven’t yet joined.  The soft spot is covered by thick, tough tissue that protects the brain tissue underneath, so you needn’t worry about hurting it.  If you sometimes notice slight pulsation of the soft spot, [...]

Jaundice The majority of babies will display some yellowness (or jaundice) in the first few days of life (especially breastfed babies).  This is because the baby’s liver is not yet fully mature and cannot process a normal human waste product called bilirubin.  Most infants’ jaundice will improve without any intervention.  However, some children will [...]

Care of the Genitals for Males For the first few days after having a circumcision you will need to regularly apply Vaseline over the circumcision.  This should be done with each diaper change.  After about a week, the skin should be healed well enough, and this practice can be discontinued. For a circumcised child, [...]

When a baby enters the world, it is an adjustment. A few mild symptoms may occur and, especially if this is your first baby, they may worry you. Some newborn care and normal conditions of the newborn period are described below. Nasal Congestion During the first two to three months of life, most newborn [...]