Babies - Growth and Development : Part 1

The Mother and Her Child
by William S. Sadler, M.D., Lena K. Sadler, M.D.

(Page 24 of 44)

The newborn baby comes into the world in an absolutely helpless condition and completely unconscious of his surroundings. He unconsciously performs certain acts, such as opening his eyes, crying, urination, movement of the bowels, and even nursing of the breast; but there is probably no distinct voluntary action connected with any of these acts. All of his senses at birth are practically dormant, but as the days and weeks go by, they begin to awaken.

Special Senses

The baby cries, but the tears do not actually flow over the lids until he is three or four months old, and while the baby may fix his eyes upon objects and distinguish light from darkness, he will not wink nor blink when the finger is brought close to the eye. Vision is probably not complete until the beginning of the third month.

Infants are said to be deaf for the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours after birth, and some authorities hold that they are deaf for several days.

Taste is early developed, as a newborn baby will often repeatedly show a desire to taste sweet things, while if sour or bitter things are put to the tongue, it shows its displeasure.

Hair and Scalp

The newborn baby usually comes into the world with a good head of hair, but the end of the first or second week witnesses the falling out of much of this hair, and falling may continue for even another week or two. The hair is often worn off on the back of the head because of constant friction upon the pillow.

Children differ greatly in the growth of hair. Some of them come into the world with heavy hair, and others lose it quickly and remain nearly bald-headed until after the first year.

As the second hair grows in, it is usually lighter than it was at birth and lighter than it will be later in life, as the hair has a tendency to grow darker as the years go by.

The scalp should receive the care already mentioned. As the hair comes in it should be shampooed once in two weeks and brushed often, making it healthy and vigorous.

Misshapen Heads

It is wise to turn the baby first on one side and then on the other and not allow him to sleep night after night on one side of his head. The newborn head may be misshapen by laying the child constantly on one side, and the ear may be misshapen if it is allowed to curl under or become pressed forward. Markedly protruding ears may be partially corrected by having the child wear a well-ventilated cap made for the purpose.

The Saliva

Many mothers think that the presence of drooling or the excessive flow of saliva is associated with teeth cutting. While it may be associated with the teeth, this is not usually the case; it is more probably due to the beginning of a new function of secretion. The newborn baby has only enough saliva to furnish moisture for the mouth, and not until the age of four or five months does saliva really flow, and since the teeth appear a bit later we often confuse the institution of a new secretion with the oncoming teeth.

Sensations and Recognition

The young baby manifests a number of sensations early in its career. Hunger and satisfaction as well as comfort and discomfort seem to be recognized by the little fellow. He early learns that the approach of someone when he cries usually means that he is to be taken up, and he usually ceases crying as soon as he is taken up. He early manifests a sense of comfort when he is cuddled; there also is early present a manifestation of the desire to sleep, and the satisfying pleasure of a drink of water.

At the age of three months he has recognized many things such as the light or a bright object. He distinctly recognizes his mother and often smiles at her approach. He recognizes his hands at four months, and now begins to recognize other members of the household aside from his mother. Even as early as one month, he may smile at his mother. At two months of age he will often smile at other members of the family. He laughs out loud or chuckles during the fourth or fifth month. But, on the whole, he must be considered as just a little animal whose greatest needs are to have his appetite and thirst satisfied, his little body clothed, and his little nerves put to rest - to sleep.

Sitting Alone

At four months the normal baby will hold up his head; and if he is supported at the back with a pillow, he will sit erectly - holding his head up - at six months; while at eight months or not later than nine, the normal child should sit alone on the floor with no support. Later in the ninth month he often manifests a desire to bear his weight upon his feet. Care is here urged that the mother protect the little fellow at this time and not allow him to rest his weight upon his feet but a moment or two at a time.

He will reach for a ball suspended from the top of his carriage or bed as early as the fifth month. About this time he discovers his toes while in his bath. He will handle a rattle at six or seven months, and shows delight in such toys.

Dentition

In both the upper and lower jawbones of the newborn infant there are hidden away in snug little cavities two sets of tiny teeth; the first set, or milk teeth, and the second set, or permanent teeth. These rudimentary teeth grow as the baby grows and push their way up or down from the jawbones until they finally make their appearance through the gums. The milk teeth appear in a definite way and in five definite groups.

About the Author

Dr. William S. Sadler M.D. was a well-known American psychiatrist and college teacher in the school of medicine at the University of Chicago. For over sixty years he practiced his profession in Chicago, thirty-three years being associated in practice with his wife, Dr Lena Kellogg Sadler. The doctors were pioneers in the research on the mysterious Urantia Papers.