JULY & AUGUST 2019 | 39

1

NEWBORNS POO EVERY DAY

How often he poos will depend on

whether your child is breast- or formula

fed in those first weeks. Breastfed babies

do not really need to poo every day,

as breast milk is considered to be more

easily (and wholly) digested.

Sister Ida Pretorius, of Ida’s Baby

Clinic and a specialist in advanced

neonatal nursing says, “Breastfed babies

can pass seven stools in a day or one

stool every seven days.”

Formula-fed babies usually need to

poo every day or every second day to

feel comfortable. As a parent, it’s easy

to panic when your baby hasn’t pooed

for days and assume it’s constipation.

Ida advises parents to rather check the

type and consistency than the frequency

of their baby’s poo. Normal stools can

be likened to the consistency of yoghurt

or toothpaste. Your constipated baby

will have hard, sticky, dry or pellet-like

stools. Watch for any slight blood from

anal fissures.

2

IF YOUR BABY HAS COLIC,

CHANGING FORMULA WILL HELP

No matter what your reasoning, never

change your baby’s formula without

properly consulting with your clinic

sister or paediatrician first. Ida warns,

“It’s completely hazardous if and when

parents self-treat their babies with formula

milk. It takes the baby’s system up to

seven days to adjust to the new formula.

Some parents make two or three formula

changes within those seven days!”

3

IT’S NOT SAFE TO TAKE A NEWBORN OUTSIDE

Most parents are concerned about

taking their newborns out and about in

the weeks following birth. In fact, their

moms and older family members tell

many not to. In some cultures, it’s even

customary for mom and baby to be

kept indoors for a month or so until they

are allowed out of the house. However,

medical experts say there is no real

reason not to take your healthy new

baby out of the house. A walk in the park

offers fresh air and a change of scenery

for you and your baby, and if you are

breastfeeding, your milk is helping to

build baby’s immunity. Limit time in

crowded spaces though.

4

IF YOUR NEWBORN LOOKS INTO

A MIRROR, HE WILL BE SQUINT

At birth, your baby is able to focus on

objects at a distance of at least 20cm

away. Beyond this he can detect light,

colours and shapes, but it’s all a bit

blurry for now. You may notice your

baby’s eyes may not function as a team,

or seem misaligned or squint. It takes at

least three months for your child’s eyes to

align properly. If the squint persists, seek

medical advice.

5

YOU MUST PULL ON THE UMBILICAL

CORD STUMP TO HELP IT FALL OFF

This is one of the worst things you could

do. Ida explains, “The umbilical stump is

attached to main arteries and veins inside

the body. Should it tear (which doesn’t

easily happen), your baby may bleed

uncontrollably.” Look after your baby’s

umbilical cord stump carefully to ensure it

heals and falls off naturally. Gently wipe

the area clean with cotton wool dipped in

cooled-down boiled water at each nappy

change. Allow the stump to air. Never

tug or pull at the stump. Let it fall off on

its own. There could be a little blood and

soreness for a day or two, but with the

stump falling off by itself, the navel will

be completely healed. Call your doctor

if your baby is running a fever, there is

bleeding from the end of the cord or area

near the skin, the stump oozes pus, or

there is swelling or redness.

6

PLACING A COIN ON A PROTRUDING BELLY

BUTTON HELPS IT POP BACK IN

A protruding belly button is usually

caused by a defect in the wall of your

baby’s abdomen and is also known as

an umbilical hernia. It is not due to the

doctor pulling or cutting the cord at birth.

The protrusion should disappear by the

time your child is one year old.

7

YOUR NEWBORN’S HEAD FEELS

WARM, SO HE HAS A FEVER

Feeling your baby’s head/forehead is not

an accurate assessment of fever. Always

feel the back of your child’s neck or his

chest/abdomen area. If these areas feel

warm to the touch, use a thermometer for

an accurate reading of fever.

8

MY NEWBORN IS SNEEZING,

SO HE WAS BORN WITH A COLD

It’s more likely that his body is adjusting

to environmental temperatures. Lint, milk

or saliva may also get up his nose, so he

will be more inclined to sneeze it out.

9

HOLDING YOUR BABY WILL SPOIL HIM

Ida says research has proven that

babies who are held close by their

caregivers and whose needs are

attended to when they cry, grow up to be

children who have a good self-image and

perform better at school.

10

DRINKING ORANGE JUICE DURING

PREGNANCY WILL GIVE MY BABY JAUNDICE

Jaundice results when there is too much

bilirubin in the blood. Symptoms include

a yellow colouring of the skin or the

whites of the eyes. Bilirubin is produced

when red blood cells are broken down

and processed by the liver to be passed

out in your baby’s meconium.

However, your newborn’s liver

functioning is still immature and may not

be able to adequately rid his body of

it. Jaundice is usually present two days

after birth and clears in two weeks. If

your baby appears to have jaundice (is

sleepy, yellow and doesn’t wake up to

feed), seek medical advice as soon as

you can. YB

Common newborn

myths are perpetuated

by family, friends and

society. Some are silly,

some are dangerous...

TEN

NEWBORN MYTHS BUSTED