Nothing To Worry About: Common Infant Conditions That Are No Cause For Concern

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By Mia Bolaris-Forget

They say that the first child is the most “difficult” because it’s all new, and parents need to adjust to their new family member, their new life and what they are doing. And, they say that once you have and can handle two children, you can handle as many more as you’d like.

The premise is that raising a child or children gets easier with each child and with added experience. But, parents, especially new parents worry (and often times rightfully so), but here are some common occurrences that the experts say are nothing to worry about.

1. Tender Soft Spots At The Top Of Baby’s Head: Many parents worry about ensuring NOT touching the soft spots on their child’s head, known as fontanels. But, experts assure moms and dads that touching the fontanels is not the same as touching your baby’s brain. In fact, what you are touching is a protective membrane that is there in order to help the baby’s tender and flexible skull safely maneuver through the narrow birth canal.

2. Pulsating Fontanels: The visible pulse in your baby’s fontanels, according to experts, is a normal part of your child’s circulatory system. Because this protective covering protects areas of the skull that have yet to fuse together, they remain soft, making veins and arteries more visible.

3. Baby Girl’s Bloody Diaper: Experts suggest that during pregnancy, a gush in maternal estrogen levels can “excite” a female fetus’s uterus. With that said, it’s not uncommon to notice a mini period in baby girls.

4. A Tiny Cleft In Baby’s Chest: While most fear that this may be heart related, experts suggest that the breastbone is composed of three parts and that the “hollow” you notice is likely the bottom part angling backward. They add that as your child grows, his/her chest and belly will help pull it straight; and that even before then ample amounts of baby fat will cover up this normal indentation.

5. Mushy Poop After Feeding: Experts suggest that breastfed babies may be inclined to excrete after “eating” because breast milk tends to be easily digested and that bottle-fed babies may experience fewer bowel movements. And, as far as the poop being “mushy”, they suggest it’s because most newborns are on an all-liquid diet.

6. Habitual Hiccupping: While professionals don’t have an easy answer for this one, some suggest baby hiccup because there is a miscommunication between the brain and the diaphragm, the abdominal muscle responsible for control over breathing. But, they add, hiccups are harmless.

7. Teary Tykes: Professionals point out that newborn infants have and immature nervous system and startle easily, giving them two (good) reasons for crying so easily. Plus, they add, crying is you child’s only way of communicating, and so long as your baby doesn’t seem troubled or pained, crying is simply a basic part of life.

8. Swollen breasts on newborn babies: The same hormones that may stimulate a mini period in baby girls can cause the breasts of babies (of both sexes) to swell. And, they add, it’s normal and nothing to worry about.

9. Facial Rash: Once again the experts point to maternal hormones that are still circulating in the body and frequently resulting in “acne” between 2 weeks and 2 months of age. Treat by gently cleansing, not Clearasil.

10. Persistent Sneezing: Babies say experts have tiny noses and just a small bit of mucus will tickle them making them sneeze. Also because newborns have emerged from a watery home in your uterus, they are likely to experience a bit of congestion, the may lead to sneezing. And, they add, that unless the sneezing is accompanied by thick, yellow mucus, indicating a cold, it’s all just part of a phase your baby will outgrow.